


Aspects Of Clashing Truth

by Talonticus



Series: Other Talon legacy tales [7]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Confrontational Romance, Dialogue Heavy, Drama, F/F, Implied Sexual Content, Intimacy, Pre-Class Stories, Sexual Tension, Swearing, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-29 14:09:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10855596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talonticus/pseuds/Talonticus
Summary: The mission seemed simple at first - extract the necessary information from the mandalorian who holds it and then move on. Executor Nevasc was sure that she knew what she was doing, as this was not all too different from the missions she had completed previously. Unfortunately, she ended up misjudging the unpredictability of fate.





	1. Protocol

**Author's Note:**

> **Main characters:** Sabosen'evas'cithar, "Nevasc" (Original Female Chiss Ascendancy Agent), Shae Vizla  
>  **Secondary characters:** Nuruodo'sek'tirdat, "Dosekt" (Original Male Chiss Ascendancy Agent), Protocol (Original Artificial Intelligence)
> 
> _"Are you ever going to write a het fic, Claire?"_   
>  _Ah ha ha ha ha ha!_
> 
> _Anyway, as noted in the tags and stuff, this is a fic focusing on the romantic beginnings of my Chiss OC, core name Nevasc and Shae Vizla. I'm going to reference them both in future fics as well, but this is how their "relationship" started (even though it's still quite open)._   
>  _The story begins a few decades before the events of SWTOR, during the Great Galactic War and will proceed to somewhere during the Cold War._
> 
> _Nevasc was first mentioned in another fic of mine, called "The precipice of division", where she made her[first appearance](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7386703/chapters/19674715) in a chapter with Cipher Nine and Raina Temple._   
>  _This chapter is not required to understand her in this particular story, but if you want to see how she fits into my wider version of SWTOR, just thought I'd link it._   
>  _Furthermore, I also have a short profile with two pictures available on one of my blogs. If you want to check out how I made her look in-game, scroll to the bottom of[this page](http://creativebankruptcy.tumblr.com/swtor)._
> 
> _Anyway, I hope you enjoy it._

Life stirs down through one of the long empty and achromatic corridors, as lamps ignite with each step. The whiteness of the ceiling, floor and walls is only interrupted by thin black lines, marking out each square that makes up the surface of what she wanders upon. Her own thin pants, socks and short-sleeved shirt is similarly drab and uncreative, not completely covering up her teal-colored skin. 

When arriving at the correct door, she stops and lets it slide open for her, wandering inside a room that seems similarly blank and vacant, but her red eyes inspect the interior, knowing that there are holographic sensors scanning everything within, like most parts of this facility. Her destination is the far wall of this area and once she arrives, she stops, spreading her arms and legs a small amount, and waits for what is to come.  
Soon enough, hatches unfold to reveal mechanical arms, which moves to surround her, holding several pieces of metal. The material is shaped into armguards, shoulder pads, a chest piece and other parts of a well-fortified and yet not particularly bulky armor. White extends across most of the pieces, intermingled with the occasional black and grey. 

She waits while each of the sections are fastened onto the somewhat toned build of her body, staring almost aimlessly into the wall. However, she knows that the observer, who is currently monitoring her, is simply waiting for the opportune time to speak, once she seems prepared to do so.  
Shortly after, a familiar monotone computerized voice can be heard through the speakers implanted within the walls.  
“Good morning, Executor Sabosen’evas’cithar.”

Her voice is similarly static, but obviously coming from her mouth as opposed to from the building.  
“Good morning, Protocol.”

“How are you feeling?” 

“I am fine, thank you.” 

“Did your sleep cycle contain any errors of note?”

Once her upper body has been taken care of, she shifts her eyes to her arm and turns it around, making sure that there’s no discomfort or complications.  
“None that you need to be concerned about.” 

“As you wish.  
Do you require anything to eat or drink?”

She shakes her head slightly.  
“No, I already had a light breakfast before I came here.” 

“Noted.”  
When it says this, she knows it truly does mean that it will be logged in its files. Nothing gets past Protocol.  
“Are there any further preparations that you wish to have cleared before you proceed?”

When her lower body is covered as well, the mechanical contraptions produces her white helmet, with a visor of a black material, being transparent only on one side. Her own dark brown hair is in its usual somewhat asymmetrical bob cut, so she has no issues with it getting in her way.  
“No, I am ready.”

“Very well.”  
The last two pieces are then offered to her on a tray – a long and thin vibrosword held in a scabbard, as well as blaster pistol with a maroon-colored outer layer. She takes both of them, placing the blade on her back and the gun by her hip, letting the magnetic locks on both engage, so that they stick to her armor.  
“Awaiting your instructions.”

She takes one fairly deep breath and prepares herself for what is to come.  
“Engage Holographic Training Session, Application 177.”

A second passes by, making her hear a slight beep as the program is loaded.  
“Affirmative. Difficulty setting?”

She thinks for a moment, wondering if she should start light or really try to push herself. The last week has been quite eventless, so she might need something tougher.  
“Put it up to eight.”

“Caution: Such a high difficulty level, shortly after awakening, is ill-advised for all organic personnel-“

“I know, Protocol. Disregard standard security precautions and proceed.”

A few more seconds of silence, before another slight beep.  
“As you desire.”  
She rolls her head around a bit, shaking her arms and legs in the process. She already prepared herself with some stretching before she went in here, but she doesn’t want to be even a little bit stiff for what she knows will be coming now.  
“Settings are loaded and awaiting your order, Executor.”

The words from the artificial voice makes her stop and she lowers her head a small bit and closes her eyes beneath the helmet.  
“Begin.”

The very second she speaks the word, at least half a dozen holographic opponents appear in various location around her position and the closest one has a blade out, swinging at her in an incredibly fast motion. Fortunately, she had already planned for this and ducks beneath the attack with a few centimeters to spare. Most people would probably have been hit, as there was no more than a split second to contemplate or be ready for such an act, but this is where she succeeds.

After this, her hand is quickly raised to the hilt of her blade and in the same move as she takes a step forward, she pulls it out and engages her own assault. Her opponent does not gain the opportunity to evade as she did, because she slices it straight across the abdomen, while she runs forward with her attack.  
There’s not much time to rejoice in any victory, which isn’t something she would do anyway, because the other enemies are already moving in on her position, doing their best to surround and flank her.  
She does not wait around for them to trap her however, and strikes out against the closest foe, by first blocking the sword used at her, deflecting it past her and slicing at the arm, ducking beneath the attack of another and then stabbing her own blade straight through its chest. 

This is how it continues, as she parries, ducks, jumps and otherwise perform quite acrobatic maneuvers in order to get around to finishing whomever she’s fighting against, in two moves or less.  
Of course, that is only the first stage, and soon enough, gun-wielding, flying and bouncing opponents join the fray as well. They never go above the limit of six holograms, but that does not particularly diminish the fact of how dangerous it would be in a real scenario and she certainly does an exceptional job of completing her task. While she mostly relies on the sword, the blaster occasionally comes in handy, especially against the flying ones with pistols of their own.

The program runs for about two minutes, before she notices how the doors to the corridor opens up and another individual quietly makes their way inside.  
At first, she simply ignores this and continues to fight, hoping that they’ll do something to interrupt it all. When nothing is being said after several more moments, she feels a sense of irritation entering her state of mind and she realizes she must do something.  
“Protocol, pause the application.”

“Acknowledged.”

The holograms suddenly seize their movements and end up standing still, as if frozen in time. While they do, she holsters her weapons and raises her hands to remove her helmet. Her attention is turned towards her new observer, but she was not quite ready for who she was about to see.  
Standing in the doorway is a man in slightly above average height, with dark blue skin and black hair, dressed in a rather slick and ornate sangria-colored uniform with white pants and black shoes.  
She immediately identifies him as Nuruodo’sek’tirdat, or Dosekt, her superior.  
“Sir.”

“It appears your reflexes and precision are as sharp as ever, Nevasc. I suppose your cybernetic implants truly are of the highest quality, like I was informed.”

She moves her helmet underneath her arm and then inclines her head slightly in a bow, out of respect.  
“My apologies, I did not see you enter, sir.” 

He simply waves his hand somewhat dismissively, before resting both arms behind his back.  
“There is no need for such words, as it was I who interrupted your training. Nevertheless, it was an impressive sight.”

Nevasc has worked for him for a little while now, even though he is not her first superior within this organization. Actually, she still finds herself having a little bit of a problem getting used to the change and doesn’t think they have come close enough to use core names. Doesn’t seem to stop him, though. Dosekt is a little bit more…sociable than the previous Director, and that is quite far from what Nevasc herself is.  
“I always try to keep myself in shape.”

“Well, if you would prefer to continue, then you are allowed to proceed. I do not wish to disturb you.”

She furrows her brow, trying to consider how best to explain it without offending him somehow. She could just use typical manners, of course, but she doesn’t quite know how he might react.  
“No offense, sir, but I prefer to perform my training session without an audience.  
If there was something you wished to discuss, then I am ready to listen right away.” 

Dosekt watches her with interest for a moment, and then offers a curt nod.  
“Fair enough.”  
He then walks further inside, wandering past or through some of the holograms in his way, until he arrives not far from her position. His eyes are diverted elsewhere during this time, though.  
“Tell me, how long have you been with Csehisbah’csso’vasuas now?” 

As the chiss takes pride in their convoluted language and names, this also extends across their governmental organizations and institutions. In Basic, the name of their group would be literally translated into ‘Gazing through truth’, but they prefer the more appropriate term ‘Truthgazers’. While they are most closely affiliated with the military section of the Ascendancy, this particular group involves multiple members of various families, as seen by Nevasc’s own connection.

She watches him now, wondering why he would be asking this, as he surely already knows or can at least check, if he so desires.  
“It has been several solar orbits now, sir.”

“You were quite young when you were drafted, were you not?”

“Yes, my superior at the time believed that my skills were required here, more than anywhere else.” 

Dosekt nods briefly and finally turns his sight in her direction.  
“She did indeed mention to me how valuable you would be, and so far, you have lived up to those expectations.”

She bows a little bit once more.  
“Thank you, Director. Your praise is appreciated.”

Her voice doesn’t emit that kind of feeling, but she rarely displays that in any immediately visible way.  
“Of course. However, this is why I have come to you today. There is an important mission I have in mind, which I need your skills for.  
You have been deployed in various places across the current galactic conflict, correct?”

Nevasc is certainly aware of what goes on in the galaxy, as the Republic and Empire continues to clash across a multitude of worlds. She was too young to properly remember the start of it all, but she knows that the war as an event began about two decades ago, according to the Republic calendar, at least.  
“Yes, sir. I go wherever the safety of the Ascendancy requires me to.” 

“This mindset is definitely needed right now, Executor.  
It appears that one of our Sith allies has managed to locate information about our organization – a man known as Lord Drancar.” 

Nevasc folds her arms and arches one of her brows inquisitively.  
“How was he able to attain it?”

“From what our latest intel stated, he apparently managed to capture one of our operatives, who was assigned to infiltrate the imperial military, and interrogated her substantially.”

She begins to frown.  
“How substantially, sir?”

“The operative has, unfortunately, expired. This is why we do not know exactly how much the Sith Lord was able to attain, but according to our initial estimates, all of those with assignments within the Empire may be at risk.  
If he does have it all, this could be very costly; not just for our alliance, but every Chiss world, should the Empire decide to turn against us. They do not understand nor recognize our methods; therefore, we must assume the worst.”

Not an unusual conclusion to her, as there’s always this kind of risk when they find a new society that may wish to cooperate with them.  
“I understand. What are my objectives for this mission?”

He starts to slowly wander around the room, seemingly not bothered by the holograms in his path.  
“You are one of my best Executors, Nevasc, and therefore I must send you to find this Sith, assess what he has done with the data he has acquired and eliminate him. This must be done with efficiency and stealth, and the execution must be completed in such a way that there are no possibilities that we would be incriminated. Preferably, the proof should point towards the Republic instead, which could potentially increase the value of our alliance, when we provide the information for them.”

She inclines her head in affirmation.  
“Understood. I will see it done, Director. Where must I go to accomplish the task?”

Dosekt stops now and turns to look at her again.  
“This is where a slight complication arises, Executor: we do not have the necessary data on his movements after the capture of our operative, and therefore, his current whereabouts are unknown.  
To complete this mission, you will have to start by extracting information from someone we believe is in possession of it – a mandalorian.”

A slight scowl appears on her features as she doesn’t seem satisfied with this piece of news.  
“I see.”

He watches her rather curiously, however.  
“Is something amiss, Executor?”

She shifts the location of her arms to her back instead, still holding onto the helmet and loosens her expression.  
“Not at all, sir. Who is this mandalorian?”

Dosekt turns his attention towards the wall and speaks somewhat louder.  
“Protocol, access file C-061/412, designation ‘SV’, for us.”

They hear the computerized voice again.  
“Acknowledged.”

A hologram soon appears in between them, displaying a fair-skinned human, a female by Nevasc’s estimates, dressed in heavy armor and holding a helmet beneath her arm. Red hair hangs loosely and haphazardly around her, reaching down only somewhat past her shoulders.  
“This is Shae Vizla, leader of clan Vizla. She has worked with the imperials for several years already during the war, and is very respected by both sides, albeit for different reasons, of course. Her notoriety has earned her the possibility of being paid quite well by the Empire, and she is often hired by the Sith themselves, more so than by the military staff.”

Nevasc studies the hologram with interest, walking around it to see it from different angles. The first thing she notices is how, if it is correct, Shae is several inches taller than her. By the size, the mandalorian is probably more muscular as well.  
“Do we know her location?”

“Yes. The latest intel has pinpointed her whereabouts on the hutt-controlled world of Nal Shaloch. It is a rather populated planet on the edge of Hutt space. It is known for attracting various amounts of freelancers and third parties within the illegal elements of the galaxy.”

She watches Shae’s hologram for a little while longer, and then changes direction towards Dosekt.  
“How should I proceed?”

He turns to face her as well, locking their eyes together.  
“Have you ever encountered any mandalorians before, Executor?”

“Yes, but I have not had the opportunity to converse with them.”

Dosekt gestures at Shae while he speaks.  
“Mandalorians value determination, cunning and ferocity, while demanding that any favor is countered by displays of strength and honor. I would guess that you must show them something similar.”  
He looks into her eyes again.  
“Make her respect you, Executor, and she is bound to relay the information we need. Naturally, you must not reveal anything of your own mission in return.”

Nevasc’s sight drifts between Dosekt and the hologram, as she is already trying to formulate some kind of plan.  
“Very well, I shall do my best. What must be done with her when I have what I need? Is she to be eliminated as well?”

He remains silent for a moment, as he seems to contemplate his response, and then looks at her with a hint of amusement on his face.  
“I leave this up to your judgement. Proceed as you see fit.”  
She inclines her head and watches as he turns on his heel and walks towards the door.  
“You must be ready to depart within two days. Make any necessary preparations while you can. Good luck, Executor.”

While he leaves, she folds her arms and continues to study Shae once more. This will be the first time she actually gets close to a mandalorian and doesn’t immediately have to fight. Not that she has had to clash with them many times before, but this creates a very intriguing challenge for her.  
“Protocol.”

“Yes, Executor?”, she hears the AI asking.

“Access the contents for the training session application.”

“Acknowledged. You wish to make any alterations?”

She nods slightly and puts her helmet in both hands.  
“Yes – replace all holographic opponents with the visual style of file C-061/412, designation ‘SV’ and reset the program.”  
She puts her helmet back on and seals it shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _The cheunh words used for this was taken from one of those "language generators", which had cheunh. I just thought it seemed fitting and decided to use it._


	2. Fire and Ice

Darkened blue and grey skies, somewhat tainted by a sliver of a sickly green here and there, as smoke billows up from various factories and other processing structures. The streets are littered with a large number of people everywhere, from a huge number of origins, while the air is just as filled with vehicles. 

Yes, she has definitely arrived at the correct world, which she has become all too aware of by this point. Nevasc really dislikes how the hutts often misuse the planets they control, as if they don’t really care what happens to them, as long as they can get ahold of the resources. Or perhaps it’s the opposite, seeing their slug-like appearance, they might actually enjoy the fact that their worlds are turned into wastelands. Not that this place is as bad as Nal Hutta or Nar Shaddaa – a planet and its moon, which she has visited in the past – but it makes her long for Sposia, or even Csilla. On top of the nicer atmospheres, she also knows where she has most people there, as they are hers. She knows the expected societal norms, the expressed emotions and what is required of her. Here, it’s all a blur, practically chaos. She can maneuver through it, but she doesn’t actually feel comfortable.

After taking an airspeeder taxi from the spaceport, she eventually arrives outside a very specific establishment, with a somewhat non-functioning neon sign hanging outside, spelling out the name ‘The Soaked Pit cantina’ in huttese, one of the languages she is rather well-versed in.  
Activating one of her internal communication implants, she contacts the artificial creation that is often with her on these missions and decides to speak in cheunh. Usually keeps outsiders away from their conversation.  
“Protocol, is this the correct location?”

She hears the AI’s voice, as if it speaks directly into her ear, even though that’s not exactly how it works.  
“Affirmative, Executor. According to local intelligence gatherings, a group of mandalorians, reportedly from clan Vizla, was recently seen entering this area.”

“I see.”  
Nevasc grimaces somewhat to herself, which is obviously not something Protocol can see, but it can monitor parts of her vital signs, because of how some of its existence is connected to her at this time.

“Is something wrong, Executor?”

“No, there isn’t.”  
She realizes that certain physical cues may not have as obvious to Protocol, and to not alarm it too much, she figures it might be reasonable to elaborate.  
“I…simply hoped that our target would have had higher standards than this.”

“This could be rectified. If you prefer, you can wait until the target has relocated to another area and strike at that point instead.”

Nevasc shakes her head.  
“No, that won’t be necessary. Let us proceed.”

“Acknowledged.”

Nevasc moves forward, heading for the entrance to the cantina. There is quite a bit of traffic here at this time, meaning a lot of people are trying to get in and out. Because of this, a lot of those present carelessly bump into each other and sometimes even break out into fights because of the drunken state of many of those who leave. Thankfully, Nevasc’s attentiveness and agility allows her to avoid anyone who tries, knowingly or not, and can easily find herself getting through the opening while many others take far more time. It does help that she’s not that big either, even with her armor.

Once she enters the warmer interior of the cantina, her nostrils are filled with scents of smoke, body odors, liquor and something which she’s pretty sure can be described as ship fuel. Why would they have anything like that in here? They cannot be serving such poison, right?  
In any case, she starts to scan the area as best as she can with her eyes. If she kept her helmet on, she could do so through the armor’s internal sensors, but because she figures it is advisable to meet her target face-to-face, she keeps it off for now, while leaving it attached to her back through its magnetic lock. 

Eventually, she spots the familiar appearance of a fair-skinned, red-haired human in heavy armor. As she’s drinking with her fellow mandalorians it’s obvious that she wouldn’t have her helmet on either, which does make it easier for Nevasc.  
“Protocol, I have the target in sight.”

“Acknowledged. If you prefer, I can provide assistance, should combat be initiated.”

Nevasc is slightly unsure here, as she usually prefers accomplishing her tasks alone, but she knows that the AI has occasionally been useful in tight situations.  
“What do you have in mind?”

“If you can locate any terminals or other devices wired into the system of this establishment, it might be possible to insert a datapad to upload some of my processor units. If I gain control of internal hardware, I can provide distraction maneuvers, such as overloading the power flow to light sources.” 

Seeing its point, Nevasc begins to examine the rest of the rather large room, seeing what lamps, fire hazard prevention systems, air ventilation and other mechanisms might be in here. This could indeed be an advantage.  
“Your proposal is reasonable. I will see what I can find.”

She wanders around the edges of the room, not going too close to any tables, but trying to keep a distance from the more crowded regions too. Not that she believes she’d be recognized, but she doesn’t wish to be dragged into anything either.  
Eventually, she finds a terminal in a maintenance booth which she believes is linked to the rest of the building. When no one seems to be watching, she gets her datapad out, connects it to the terminal and makes sure that Protocol has enough time to do what it needs.

“I have uploaded a few processor units, Executor, and have access to various internal systems. I am able to sabotage them to a certain degree, at your command.”

Nevasc nods and puts her small datapad back in its slot at one of the containers attached to her belt.  
“Lights should be enough. Remember, do not act before I tell you to.”

“Of course, Executor, on your signal.”

Feeling a little bit more confident and fully ready to act, she begins approaching the mandalorians’ table and does her best to not bump into anyone on the way. She doesn’t try to hide her approach though, so she’s pretty sure that they see her before she arrives. This is the point, because if she didn’t wish to be seen, she definitely wouldn’t be.  
When she gets closer, Nevasc notices that not all of the other people around the large table are humans – there’s a mirialan, a zabrak, a twi’lek and a cathar too. No chiss, of course. She would’ve known if there were, as they carefully monitor all of their people’s movements, whether they are part of the Truthgazers or not.

While some of the mandalorians give the approaching chiss a glance, Shae is not one of them, as she continues to drink and talk with those closest to her position. In a way, she’s quite an imposing figure and Nevasc will admit that if they were both on the battlefield, she would make sure to not get too close. No such luck at this time, however.  
As Shae is seated at the edge of one of the sofas in this part of the cantina, it’s not too difficult for Nevasc to reach her without having others in the way. 

“Are you Shae Vizla?”

She knows that her Basic isn’t flawless. She can pronounce the words just fine, but the way she speaks always makes it clear to most native Republic or Imperial speakers, no matter which version, that she is not, as she has a very minor foreign accent. If her appearance wasn’t enough, that is.  
Shae gives her a quick glance, snorts and looks at her comrades.  
“Heh. So, the ice wants to chat with us now, huh? Must be a special day.”

Some of them starts to laugh, and Nevasc would roll her eyes if she wasn’t trying to seem sort of friendly.  
“I wanted to speak with you about a certain topic, if you have the time.”

“Yeah well, so do a lot of other fools. What do you want?”

“Information.” 

Shae arches a brow in slight surprise and looks back up into the red eyes.  
“Intriguing. Not every day someone comes to me for that kind of thing. Gonna have to be more specific, though.”

Nevasc carefully folds her arms, trying to make her appear less hostile. In this stance, it doesn’t seem as if she’s going to draw any of her weapons, even though she is more than capable of being deadly within a second.  
“You have been in the employ of the Sith Empire for several years now, yes? I am here to make certain inquiries about a few specific individuals, preferably in private.”

Shae begins to smirk at her and continues to watch her, apparently with increased amusement.  
“Sorry, lady, I never speak about my clients’ business. Not very useful for someone in my line of work.”  
She turns her gaze away.  
“Now fuck off.”

Before giving Shae the chance to turn away completely, Nevasc takes another step closer and lowers the tone of her voice just a tad.  
“That is rather amusing to hear, as I always get my targets to talk.”

The other mandalorians, who seemed to be getting back to their session of joking around, or whatever they indulged in, go silent once more and everyone turns their eyes towards Shae. What they see is similar to what is displayed for Nevasc, as Shae turns to her again – a quite pleased grin.  
“Is that so? Well then, that makes this a whole lot more interesting than I expected.”

Shae doesn’t have her hands close to any weapons either, but Nevasc is sure that the mandalorian could draw them rather swiftly.  
“I would prefer if these proceedings would not have to descend into violence.”

The grin widens.  
“You’ve not spoken to many mandos, have you? That’s not how this works, aruetii.” 

“I know.”

While Shae might’ve prepared herself for a fight, she certainly isn’t ready for Nevasc’s right arm to rise so quickly, grab the hilt of her sword, pull it out and then slice straight down towards Shae. It’s fast, precise and quite a smart move to make. Unfortunately, she isn’t aware of the kind of defenses that Shae herself always has prepared.  
Just before the blade reaches Shae’s head, she lifts her left arm in the air and the sword instead slams into her limb, or her wrist to be more specific. Most armors wouldn’t be able to resist the edge of Nevasc’s blade, especially with the vibro technology surrounding it, but it seems that Shae’s plates are reinforced. Her wristguard is more than enough to block the strike and hold the attack off.

At the same time as this occurs, much of the rest of the cantina goes quiet as well. It’s always rowdy and many are on the verge of fighting, but no one usually pulls a weapon, at least not most of the time. 

“Well well, you’re a fast one.”  
It appears that Shae is stronger than Nevasc, and can continue holding the blade away from her, while using her right arm to go for one of her blasters.  
“But not fast enough!”

The pistol flies up and Shae tries to fire as soon as Nevasc is within its sight, but this is where her reflex implants initiates. The Executor has already moved a few inches away from the location she just stood at by the time the barrel of the gun is in place, and then immediately retreats from the table by jumping away. At this point, it’s possible that Shae might get another shot at her, but Nevasc makes sure that doesn’t happen by kicking one of the mandalorians nearby towards their leader, making Shae’s next blast go completely astray. 

When enough distance has been reached, Nevasc grabs her own pistol and aims it towards Shae, even with the other mandalorian sort of blocking her view, and fires a few shots. This forces Shae to duck beneath the table, along with the rest of her clan members and tries to shoot a few wild shots in return. At the same time, chaos completely erupts in the cantina, and people either run for their lives or try to get to cover and prepare their own weapons. Perfect time to make things worse.

Nevasc switches to cheunh and plugs into her comm implant again.  
“Protocol, engage!”

“Accessing distraction procedures”, she hears it saying as calmly as ever, before the entire place goes dark. More screams and disorder across the area, but it appears neither woman will allow this to stop them. Both grab their helmets and put them on. 

Shae gets to her feet, ignoring what her clan is telling her, and instead tries to locate her opponent. The whole cantina has practically broken out into fire and fist fights, and while Shae could simply pick a target and go at it, if she really just wants to beat someone, she realizes that the chiss is where the fun is at.  
Because of the chaos, several of the denizens get in both of their ways, and they have to get rid of them. Nevasc’s execution of this is, as always, swift and efficient, either giving them a quick slash of her blade or knocking them out with her fist at a vital spot, like the throat.  
In contrast, Shae is much more blunt and brutal, giving the closest guy a taste of her fist to his face, while she knees the next in the groin and pistol-whips a third. 

Finally, they spot each other again and Shae gets her gun up to fire, but Nevasc reacts quicker than she does once more, hurrying to get in behind other visitors to the cantina, allowing a few shots to hit random people. The Executor tries to retaliate, but there are too many people around to not create some collateral of her own. 

Nevasc realizes that this strategy does not help and she needs to get out of sight, which surprises Shae when she moves the other way. Eventually, Shae loses her in the sea of fighters and people who still attempt to flee, annoying the mandalorian immensely. To think that someone like that would run away seems almost impossible and spoils her opportunity for a good fight. 

Because of her mistrust of this act, her instincts manage to warn her of the coming danger from behind, and she is just in time to turn around and hold her wristguard up, blocking Nevasc’s blade which attempts to slice her again.  
“Well, aren’t you a sneaky fucker?!”

Shae raises her pistol-wielding arm again, trying to get it in Nevasc’s direction, but the chiss closes the distance between them by tackling her, and even with her smaller body frame, it’s enough for Shae to almost lose her footing, or at the very least not be able to get a good shot. Unfortunately, this also means that Nevasc can’t cut her either and it turns into a half-wrestling match, half-fistfight. While the Executor attempts to weaken Shae by delivering kidney shots, Shae retaliates by elbowing her back and tries to use her knee to push Nevasc away. 

This goes back and forth, as they forget about their weapons for a second and tries to settle it in melee range. While Nevasc feels confident in this, with her superior agility and speed, Shae eventually manages to deliver a devastating punch right into her gut. The chiss loses her breath for a moment, and almost topples over, before she stumbles away and regains her balance. The pain does not slip away that easily however and she understands that settling it at this range will not make her the victor in this fight. 

Changing tactics, in order to save herself, Nevasc aims low and trips Shae over, hoping that it will give her time to escape. Shae groans as she falls, but grits her teeth in anger and raises her arm towards Nevasc. A device pops up from behind the wristguard and in moments, fire erupts in an explosive cloud in front of her, creating catastrophic consequences. While she manages to hit several other people, who begin to scream in pain and shock, the chiss is not one of them, as she immediately ducked to the floor. 

In reaction to this, the fire hazard prevention system engages and water begins soaking the entire room, creating further chaos. Not quite what Nevasc had expected and she gets a fair amount of water straight on her visor, which distracts her instead, forcing her to wipe some of it away. This single mistake allows Shae to gain the upper hand and she notices how the mandalorian rushes straight at her. She tries to evade again, but this time, Shae initiates the jetpack on her back, bursting right into the Executor and Nevasc gasps beneath her helmet.

The plan was probably to knock Nevasc into the wall, but as she couldn’t actually see where she was aiming, the two of them soon hit one of the cantina’s windows, bursts into it and then crashes outside.  
When the duo eventually lands, they find themselves in the closest alleyway to the cantina, rolling around until they can stop and get back to their feet. As they do, they still continue to watch each other, but also take the opportunity to breathe out.

“Damn, you’re quite a challenge after all. This is pretty fun”, Shae says, while her voice is heard through the speakers of her helmet.

Nevasc gets a little bit disappointed that she seems to be in the same state as Shae.  
“I find that mandalorians are always so overconfident about their combat abilities.”

Shae chuckles.  
“It’s not overconfidence if it’s true!”

And this turns out to be the signal to resume the battle, with Shae reacting first by firing after the Executor, who makes a run for a piece of cover. She has to use some nearby trash bins and containers. When she sits behind one of them, with Shae still firing the occasional shot to keep her down, she tries to scan her area, hoping to locate a path around this mess. She could contact Protocol and have it help her out, but no, she wants to do this alone. A sense of pride is being instilled and she needs to follow its call.

For the next several moments, Nevasc attempts different maneuvers to close the distance between her and her target, by using any items in between them. The alleyway is reasonably large, so it should work in theory. Unfortunately, reality doesn’t always compare and her endeavor fails, as Shae’s shots keeps her back. She can’t afford getting hit either, which is why she’s being careful.

Looking down at her hip, Nevasc figures that she’ll have to use the range she has on her side as well, and grabs the pistol she reattached earlier, rolling out from her cover and hopes to weaken the mandalorian somewhat. Sadly, she has no such luck, as it appears Shae is the better gunslinger, and blasts it straight out of her hand.  
“Nice try, icy, but you ain’t got half the skills I do.”

“We shall see.”

The moment of stillness between them is something Nevasc seizes upon and rolls towards cover again, while grabbing one of the thermal detonators holstered on her belt. She tosses it in Shae’s direction, letting it bounce once or twice first and actually gives the mandalorian some time to evade. Shae does, but the explosion, along with the smoke, gives the chiss a chance to escape.  
Seconds later, Shae gets to see just how nimble Nevasc can be, as she uses the momentum she gains from sprinting towards the wall of one of the not all too tall nearby buildings and practically runs up along its length, grabbing the edge of the roof and heaves herself to the top.

Shae sees her disappear and snorts.  
“You think that’s enough to escape me?!”

She starts to laugh and engages her jetpack again, flying up towards the same area.  
However, this was exactly what Nevasc had expected, and before Shae is far enough into the sky, the chiss comes jumping down in her direction, moments away from colliding. The mandalorian was definitely not ready for this kind of move, and while she attempts to lift her gun to stop the inevitable descent, Nevasc is already preparing an attack of her own, using her blade to slash at Shae’s hand. It is successful, and she manages to knock the blaster away, just a second ahead of slamming straight into Shae and together, they tumble back down through the air. 

They both crash on the ground, with neither’s fall being softened. At the harsh and heavy impact, Nevasc loses the hold on her blade too, leaving her just as unarmed as her opponent.  
With only their fists left, they return to what they were going at in the fight back in the cantina, and approach through close combat. Nevasc’s agility faces Shae’s strength, allowing them both to parry and block on several occasions. The chiss tries to reach weak spots and diminish Shae’s strength with many minor blows – bug bites, essentially – which stands in contrast to the mandalorian, who attempts to use raw power, hoping to knock Nevasc out as soon as possible.

Neither of them are entirely successful, nor does it turn out to be a complete failure either, but they both remain standing for half a minute of clashing. Eventually, Shae pushes Nevasc, who stumbles right into one of the nearby building’s wall. Shae tries to use this opportunity to deliver a devastating blow, but the chiss rolls away, with Shae only leaving a huge dent in the metal. One of those would definitely have been difficult for Nevasc to endure. 

The longer they continue, the more both of their stamina is being depleted, which is why they return to wrestling and merely doing their best to somehow find a gap that either can exploit. Understanding that their bodies won’t be enough to settle this, both seem to realize that they must utilize their weapons again. When they end up on the ground, they try to correct this by rolling closer to their tools, who are not too far away from each other as well. 

Shae allows Nevasc to straddle her at one point, which gives her an opportunity to use her strength to shove the chiss away, making her land on her back. After that, the mandalorian rises and makes a run for her pistol, not looking back in the slightest. Had she done so, she might’ve noticed how she was being pursued almost immediately, and while Shae falls to her knees when grabbing her blaster and raises it in the right direction, a blade is being held at her as well.

As Shae is kneeling with her pistol aimed at Nevasc’s gut, the Executor herself is standing, holding her vibrosword very close to Shae’s neck. This halts the battle completely, and neither can do much to turn the tide. They both realize that if either makes a move, the other can easily counterattack and they might both lose the fight. An impasse if ever there was one, a result that neither of them wanted nor expected. 

As the tension reaches its peak, it suddenly evaporates when Shae starts to laugh, rather loudly as well. Nevasc watches her, with a brow raised in mild confusion underneath her helmet, wondering what’s happening.  
After a few seconds, Shae lowers her pistol to show that she does not aim to fight any longer. Despite her objective, Nevasc sees this as a worthy conclusion and therefore retracts her weapon as well. 

“You’re pretty damn good, you know”, Shae comments as she rises to a standing position again.

“And you are…better than I thought you would be.”

Shae watches her and tilts her head curiously.  
“A compliment? Not what I expected, but hell, I’ll take it.”  
When Nevasc sees how Shae holsters her pistol, she gets her sword back into its scabbard as well. Moments later, they have both removed their helmets and Shae shakes her hair free, offering a smile to her opponent.  
“That was a good fight, and I haven’t had one of those in ages. As thanks, I guess I can accommodate ya. You wanted some information?”

Nevasc, still feeling rather sore after some of Shae’s punches, is at least trained enough to remain unfazed in spite of it.  
“Yes, about one of the Sith you have worked for – Lord Drancar.”

Shae grimaces in response and shakes her head, not particularly pleased at all.  
“Ah, shit. That asshole? You should’ve said something sooner.”

“…I was trying to.”

Shae smirks and shrugs somewhat nonchalantly.  
“I guess, but you gotta admit, this was a lot more fun way to deal with it.”

“If you say so.”

“Anyway, I know the guy you’re talking about. What do you wanna know?”

“Do you know anything about his current whereabouts? It has been difficult to find him as of late.”

Shae holds her helmet in one hand and raises the other to scratch at her cheek in thought.  
“Hmm, sorry, don’t really know where he might’ve ended up if he’s in hiding or something.  
However, I know a few places where I’ve met him in the past, which I believe belongs to him. I can provide their coordinates, if you want to check them out yourself and look for clues.”

“I would appreciate that.”  
For a minute or so, they turn to much more civilized means, by exchanging information through their datapads, letting Shae’s intel be transferred to Nevasc.  
When they are done, the chiss inclines her head slightly.  
“The Ascendancy thanks you for your cooperation, Shae Vizla.”

“No problem.”  
Without another word, Nevasc turns on her heel and starts to leave the vicinity. It’s a rather abrupt end, one that Shae isn’t entirely satisfied with.  
“Hey, hold up!”

Nevasc blinks and stops in her tracks, turning slightly to look over her shoulder.  
“What?”

“What’s your name?”

Nevasc watches her for a moment, realizing what point they have reached. Right now, she can either walk away and never let Shae hear another thing of her, or she can give a little bit of a hint, as an equal in combat.  
Perhaps she has earned her respect after all.  
“You may call me Nevasc.”

Shae shows her a faint smile.  
“Mm, a nice one. Hey, if you’ve got a bit of time, I wouldn’t mind sharing a bottle of ne’tra gal or two.”

She has heard of this beverage before – some kind of mandalorian drink that they enjoy. Not as strong as some of the others, though.  
Nevasc considers indulging in this activity, but realizes that she still has a mission to complete.  
“Perhaps another time.”

Shae smirks and arches her brow, both out of interest and confusion, as she watches Nevasc leave through the darkness of the nearby alleyway. It makes her wonder if a next time will ever occur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _If anyone is wondering,[Shae's wookieepedia page](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mandalore_the_Avenger) states that she is just under six feet, with the source being one of the pre-production art books. It sounded good to me, so I went with it._   
>  _If you looked at the blog page I linked yesterday, you would've seen that Nevasc is 164 cm, which would be just under 5'5", I believe. So yeah, Shae is definitely the taller party. I do like my height differences_


	3. When foes shift

A whole year after the incident with Lord Drancar and facing Shae Vizla, very few things in the galaxy has actually changed. Well, it is perhaps possible to say that it is becoming increasingly evident that the Republic is losing on many fronts across the war, and their desperation is increasing substantially.  
Nevasc has continued her typical assignments across various regions, both within imperial and republic space, fulfilling the requirements which the Ascendancy provides her with. So far, there has been no second meeting between her and the mandalorian that she was unable to defeat, and while she has not forgotten their encounter, as it was a valuable lesson, it has been put into the back of her mind. The missions of the Truthgazers and her own life back home, have been too important to consider thoughts of others, especially when so few unifying aspects should be present. Or so she thought.

This day, Nevasc has taken her small ship towards the direction of Ilysaria, one of the early Inner Rim worlds that the Empire were able to conquer, when Republic defenses were elsewhere. With much of the Republic fleet having to retreat however, imperial hold on the world is relinquishing and they realize that they may soon have to give the whole planet up.  
While Dosekt has deployed her here, it is not her mission to really aid the imperials, nor somehow sabotage for the Republic. Her purpose is, as always, related to the interests of the Ascendancy. 

Up in some of the northern regions of the planet, a harsh winter has descended upon the land, which has spread a lot of snow and ice, to the extremes for some, and it has trapped one of the last imperial garrisons in a difficult situation. A Republic division has the base besieged, with more troops and air support on their side than the Empire’s. On top of this, they have had problems with power flow, because of the cold, and due to the decrease in manpower, they do not have an abundance of technicians and such to repair previous damage to the base, like the garrison’s automated turrets. The situation is very grim, and they could use a little help, but both extraction and reinforcements are quite unlikely to be gained. 

The so-called “Operatives” that the Truthgazers employ have the purpose of infiltrating societies, which the chiss feel the need to monitor for various reasons – this includes both foes and allies. To accomplish this, they often join these factions, acting as benevolent citizens, obedient soldiers or intrigued individuals who seemingly seek a new life, while they constantly provide information and valuable intelligence back to the Ascendancy. Operatives can be found everywhere, from the Republic Senate administration, to the servants of the Hutt Cartel’s top members, to the imperial military and even the Jedi and Sith Orders. 

In contrast, the Executors are the agents that act in between them and preferably in the shadows. They aid Operatives by giving needed resources and information to them, or extracting the intel they have gathered, to take back to the Ascendancy, and of course, the Director. When deemed necessary, they also eliminate various people, whether they are threats to the Ascendancy or to the Operatives directly.  
The threat level must, of course, be manageable. Executors cannot be expected to take care of armies on their own, but they still provide a reasonable challenge to foes which otherwise would seem too difficult for other parties. Stealth, guile, speed and efficiency are the most important traits for an Executor. 

Extracting information is the exact reason for why Nevasc has been sent to Ilysaria, as one of their imperial military Operatives is stationed there. One might believe that she should try to get in and save the Operative as well, but the Director said nothing about that saving him would be a requirement for the success of the mission, although hasn’t explicitly forbidden it either. She will simply have to see what the situation is when she gets there.

As Nevasc is known for being one of the fastest and most stealthy Executors, getting past Republic offensive positions is not difficult and with her armor being hidden rather well in the snow, she does not need to utilize the stealth generator. This allows her to enter the facility and start looking for the Operative that she needs to debrief without delay.  
Getting past the imperial entrance is not difficult either, as she plugs Protocol into the system for a moment and lets it slice through the imperial defense network. She quietly slips inside and locks the door behind her. 

The first thing she notices when she enters, except for the lack of warmth and lights, is that the initial areas are without any soldiers, with makeshift barricades being the only visible items. Apparently, the imperials have abandoned certain places for now, probably to not spread themselves too thin, perhaps even to conserve energy while they can. Nevasc knows that the Republic have deactivated all but the underground emergency power generator, and that one has been too difficult for them to reach so far. 

None of this matter much for the completion of her mission, however, and this is why she continues to search for the Operative. She hopes to locate the imperials first, so that she can assess the situation and what to do about her colleague, before acting. Unfortunately, she didn’t count on certain advantages being in the Empire’s hands.

As she gets through another set of doors, by letting Protocol slice into it, she finds herself being stopped inside the next corridor, as three blaster pistols are aimed at her from different people. She raises her hands in the air, hoping that she does not appear as much of a threat.  
“There is no need for violence – I am representative of the Chiss Ascendancy, allies of the Empire.”  
Better let them believe she’s here to help when she gets spotted like this.

A moment after she says it however, a surprised voice is heard from one of the trio.  
“Hold on, aren’t you…Neva?”

Nevasc blinks and shifts her gaze to one of the armed people, realizing that the speaker doesn’t wear armor which resembles typical imperial ones. And that red shoulder-length hair is fairly familiar.  
“Shae Vizla?”

Shae lowers her gun and actually begins to smile as she approaches the Executor.  
“Hah, didn’t expect to ever see you again. And by the look on your face, I guess you had the same idea.”

She lowers her arms, while the imperials seem to do the same and then inclines her head.  
“I must admit that your presence here is a surprise.”

The mandalorian stops not too far away from her and a small smirk adorns her lips.  
“Really? You sure you didn’t just wanna hang out for old time’s sake?”

Nevasc arches a questioning brow and then snorts.  
“Hardly.” 

Their conversation is interrupted by a stern voice further back, and a male human with pale skin and a black moustache, dressed in a black imperial uniform, having an interesting amount of colors on his rank insignia, approaches them. A Colonel, by the rows of red and blue.  
“Miss Vizla, do you know this…alien?”

He surveys Nevasc fairly disapprovingly, which she doesn’t really care much for. She knows how the imperials can get, and it’s not like she doesn’t see the point; her own people are just as mistrustful of outsiders.  
However, Shae doesn’t share his concern and turns to point at him warningly.  
“Hey, you better not give her that tone, Colonel. This woman is deadlier than half of your garrison combined, when it was still fully manned. I’d show her some respect.”

Nevasc is surprised by such a protective stance, but it isn’t unwelcome.  
He frowns and shakes his head.  
“It sounds like you’re overestimating your allies as usual.”

While he wanders up to them, Shae’s attention returns to Nevasc.  
“So, mind telling us what you’re actually doing here?”

Nevasc glances between the two people in front of her, both of them taller, and folds her arms.  
“I’m afraid I cannot relay the entire reason to why I have come, as it is still rather classified. However, I will mention that part of my mission is to assess the situation with this base, to formulate a report.”

Shae is about to respond, but the Colonel interferes, as he looks rather dissatisfied.  
“Excuse me? Did imperial command ask you to do this? What ridiculous solution is this to our problems?! We are besieged by Republic troops! We need reinforcements and supplies coming this way, _right now!”_

She’s not insensitive to these concerns, but doesn’t really have the time to argue with them either.  
“Unfortunately, there are none to give, as far as I am aware. My orders are not from imperial command, however, but the Ascendancy. I can, of course, relay this information to your superiors, after I have finished my mission.”

The officer sighs, waves dismissively and steps away from the duo.  
“Useless! We do not stand a chance if they don’t send aid!”

Shae doesn’t seem as concerned, and merely smirks towards Nevasc.  
“What’s your mission?”

“I need to speak to a Sergeant stationed here in the base. He is chiss, core name Eldimath.”

The Colonel turns towards her and appears surprised.  
“Pardon? Why do you need to speak to the Sergeant?”

“He is here, then?” 

Probably not the right thing to ask, as the Colonel furrows his brow.  
“Answer my question, chiss. Why have your own superiors sent you here to speak with him?”

She’s not about to tell him the truth, obviously, but nothing stops her from relaying a plausible lie.  
“The Sergeant has family of importance back on Csilla. Our laws and regulations of heredity are complicated, Colonel and therefore I shall not explain them in detail. But suffice it to say, they require certain information and signatures for his family’s future. I am here to attain it, should he perish.”

Apparently, the imperials buy the extravagant falsehood and the Colonel shakes his head.  
“Ugh, you are here for noble family matters? By the Emperor, your people are impossible to understand! Fine, I shall point you in his direction, if you promise to get my report to-“

Before he can speak much further, they feel how the building vibrates somewhat, and a loud noise can be heard in the distance – an explosion.  
The move makes Shae smirk.  
“Well well, seems the Republic wasn’t done after that last push. Think they’re going for another.”

“Dammit! We are not prepared for this!”, the Colonel exclaims.

Shae grabs her pistol again, giving both of them a quick look.  
“You two can continue chatting about this nonsense, or you can join me and the rest of these second-rate soldiers in trying to kill a few Reps and postpone the talks until later.”

Nevasc arches her brow again as she looks at Shae, before nodding briefly.  
“I suppose I have not had a proper physical exercise in a while.”

Her smirk spreads into a grin.  
“Now that’s what I like to hear! With you around, maybe we can actually get some shit done.”

“I will aid you with this base’s defenses, Colonel, but after the enemy has retreated, I demand to speak to Sergeant Eldimath.”

The Colonel sighs, and doesn’t seem particularly hopeful about their chances.  
“Fine, fine! I will make sure he stays alive long enough, but you better be as good as our mandalorian says you are.”

She tilts her head ever so slightly.  
“My skills are far above anything that she is able to explain to you, Colonel.”

And with that, she turns and marches towards the direction of where the attack is about to happen, with a grinning Shae following her.  
While the soldiers hurry back and forth, to find their proper stations and to give everyone a weapon to wield, Nevasc and Shae wander pretty calmly through the corridors, as if the storm around them is not even a little bit bothersome.

“Been a while since we last spoke”, Shae remarks.

Nevasc looks up at her for a moment, before focusing ahead.  
“That is because we have only spoken once. I did not see the need to contact you again.”

“Tsk, not even for a drink?”

“I rarely partake of such activities.  
However, like I mentioned, I did not expect to face you here.”

“Heh, yeah, it was kind of incidental that I got involved in this mess.  
Got sent here by an Admiral, who wanted me to extract her son, a Lieutenant that was stationed in this base.”

“Was he of importance to the military?”

Shae shakes her head.  
“Nope, but his mom paid me a whole bunch of credits to see it done.”

“…you took a mission to extract a rich family’s son home to his mother? If our dossier on you is correct, this does not sound like an assignment that you would usually take.”

Shae looks rather amusedly at Nevasc, perhaps more so when hearing that Nevasc has studied her file.  
“Well, you’re right about that, but this was different. I was low on credits and it seemed like an easy job. It was supposed to be, anyway, but then the Republic attacked out of nowhere, before we could leave.”

“I see. What happened to the boy?”

The mandalorian shakes her head.  
“Died in the first wave. Didn’t realize he had no combat skills at all, so I sent him to hold a position he wasn’t ready for.”

“He took orders from you?”

“Nah, but he sort of panicked during the fight. Figured I could give him some advice, but I didn’t think he’d be that useless.”

“I am sorry to hear that. You lost your opportunity then.”

Shae merely shrugs, rather nonchalantly as well.  
“Meh, I don’t really care. His mom paid me half the fee before I got going and at least this siege provides me with a lot of interesting fights.”

Nevasc inclines her head, knowing that mandalorians thrive in difficult situations like these. Or at least they have fun.  
“I scanned the facility before I entered. This garrison has reduced defenses, power usage and no exterior shielding. If the imperials aim to win, they will have to rectify their situation somewhat.”

“Hey, you don’t need to convince me. I tried speaking to that damn Colonel, but he refuses to take my requests when I say we need to get a strike team out and hit one of the generators or grab one of the Republic engineers to help us fix some of the damage inside the base’s systems.  
But if he wants to die in here like a fool, that’s fine. Guess that gives me a chance to blast a few Reps before I try to leave.”

There is actually no pressure or requirements for Nevasc to aid them in any way, but just leaving them to their fate, especially Shae, does not feel like the right thing to do here.  
“There is a possibility that I can help repair some of the internal damage done to the base.”

“Oh? Are you a mechanic too?”

“No, but I am equipped with sophisticated AI technology within parts of my implants. If we can find a location to plug into a terminal or something similar, it is possible that it can aid us. Perhaps there are repair drones around, that are yet to be activated.”

Shae watches her curiously and raises a hand to scratch her chin.  
“Huh, well that’s interesting. Guess that could come in handy, yeah. The Republic soldiers will have to get through a few layers of defenses before they can enter the hangar where we have our barricades, so we have a few minutes. Let’s find a terminal while we have the chance.”

They move away from the assigned path and search through areas that the imperials aren’t using much right now, while Nevasc lets Protocol access the base’s internal systems. They wait just about ten seconds, before its voice can be heard from one of the speakers nearby.  
“Executor, the garrison’s defenses are now at my disposal.  
Warning: energy usage is at a critical low, with emergency power being rerouted to replace damaged processes.  
Warning: exterior shield generator has been damaged and gone offline. Repairs must be completed to-“

“Yes, we are aware of the situation for the most part, Protocol”, Nevasc says, while interrupting it.  
“Is there anything you can do for us? Are there repair drones?”

“Affirmative, but they are without defenses of their own. If I send them to repair exposed equipment, such as the power or shield generators, the risk of being destroyed by Republic forces is very high.”

“I see. What about the turrets? Or the communication array?”

“Analyzing.  
The turrets located closest to the base can be repaired by the drones, from a reasonably safe distance. If they are reactivated, they can provide necessary suppressive fire, which could aid with repairing other systems, such as the long-range communication array. The danger of the Republic destroying them is still present, however, but with lower risk.”

Nevasc seems satisfied and nods.  
“Do it. It is our best opportunity to increase our chances for survival.”

“Acknowledged. Activating repair drones.”

While this happens, Shae has mostly stood and watched her in silence, but when Protocol gets busy, she actually speaks up.  
“Is this how you got your advantage last time?”

Nevasc shakes her head.  
“No. Protocol only aided me by turning off the lights in the cantina. I knew I could defeat you without it.”

Shae smirks once more.  
“Defeat me, huh? Sorry, can’t remember that fight ending with your victory.”

Leaving Protocol somewhat wired into the systems, the two proceed towards the barricades, where many other imperial soldiers are waiting. In fact, the majority of those who remain are in this hangar, and most of them either sit in silence or clutch their rifles, while only a few converse rather quietly or check their datapads for information.

Nevasc and Shae get into position behind a piece of cover that no one has taken so far, but neither of them sit down just yet. Instead, they both stand there and seemingly wait for the storm to come to them.  
After a few seconds of silence, merely listening to sound of chaos past the blast doors, Shae leans a bit closer and speaks in a somewhat lowered voice.  
“Bet I can kill more of ‘em than you, before we push them back.”

The chiss’ eyes drifts towards her and she snorts in amusement.  
“What did I tell you about overconfidence last time?”

“And what did I tell you about that I’m always right?”

“I don’t believe those were your exact words.”

Shae grins somewhat at her.  
“You memorized every word of mine that well, huh? Didn’t know you like me that much.”

“I suppose you are not as forgettable as one would expect.”

The other soldiers react with a little bit of surprise as Shae starts to laugh, but have no time to question her why. Suddenly, the blast doors blow open and Republic troops advance into the hangar. A thick smoke accompanies the attack, but as soon as the first soldier appears in front of it, a blaster shot hits the chest of that person, and they fall to the ground.  
“One!” they hear the mandalorian exclaiming.  
“Pretty slow start for you, it seems.”

Nevasc shakes her head and then raises a hand to grab the hilt of her blade, pulling it out before she leaves the safety of the barricades.  
“Try not to feel all too embarrassed when I beat your score using only my sword.”

“Oh c’mon, you’re gonna make it way too easy for me!”

For a few minutes, they forget about their conversation, as they focus on the fight that begins to swell throughout the area, with imperial troops desperately trying to push the Republic soldiers back. Having Shae and Nevasc on their side shows to be quite a boon, however. The mandalorian uses very unorthodox tactics, combining dual blaster pistols with flame throwers and a generous amount of thermal detonators.  
Occasionally, when the Republic least expects it, Nevasc appears between their ranks to stab or strike at them from very close range. She has decided to utilize the stealth generator now that she can’t use her surroundings as effectively, but along with a few smoke grenades and taking advantage of the chaos created by the imperials, she appears like a deadly phantom on the battlefield, popping up out of nowhere and then disappearing just as quickly.

What Nevasc isn’t prepared for however, is how closely Shae seems to watch her. This is something she notices when trying to get around some soldiers at one point, by running up along one of the walls and jumping in behind their cover, digging her blade into her enemy’s chest.  
At that time, Shae’s voice calls out.  
“Hey, no running on walls! That’s not fair!”

She rolls her eyes and disarms her next opponent while he panics, trips him and then cuts his throat open.  
“Says the one with the jetpack!”

“Hah! Fine, fine, guess I shouldn’t make this all too difficult for ya!”

“If you are having trouble keeping up, I can stop wielding weapons altogether. My fists should suffice.”

Shae laughs again.  
“You are so going to regret getting cocky when I win this!”

While they are both very deadly on their own, Protocol makes sure to give them certain advantages in this fight as well, by tapping into their short-range communication and relaying certain information about the battlefield.  
On top of this, it occasionally accesses other systems that might help, such as opening certain doors that seems like shortcuts for the Republic soldiers and then shutting them when the enemy gets too close. This also includes shutting off lights, initiating alarms and overloading different nearby electrical circuits, that might somehow work as distractions. 

As another wave of soldiers tries to make a push, Nevasc hears Protocol’s voice just as she ducks beneath some nearby cover.  
“Executor, several turrets have now been repaired and can be reactivated.”

“Good. Proceed with this immediately.”

“Affirmative. Improving turret sensor accuracy and engaging fire protocols. Eliminating targets.”

Shae hears all of this as well and turns her eyes to Nevasc.  
“That program of yours is pretty useful.”

“I know. Protocol is a highly-developed AI, which has worked with my organization for several years. It thrives when it is able to assist and adapt.”

“Hmm. You don’t ever feel a bit suspicious about it, though? Giving a machine that much freedom and then letting it with work with you all the time.”

Nevasc looks at her rather confusedly.  
“No? I do not understand what the issue would be. Protocol works for us.” 

“Yeah, but…I mean, it’s not a real person. What if it doesn’t feel like doing what it’s told?”

For a moment, Nevasc looks distant and contemplative.  
“I know the drive to serve one’s superiors from a machine’s perspective, more than you might think.” 

Shae is a little skeptical about what she’s implying, but has to interrupt these thoughts when they notice a few enemy soldiers advancing and she gets up to shoot a few shots in their direction.  
Before she can finish them off however, Nevasc runs in, cripples both and then finishes the job, within a matter of seconds.  
“Hey! Those were my kills!”

Nevasc tilts her head slightly.  
“I believe the general rule for these types of contests gives the score to the one who dealt the killing blow.”

Shae smirks and shakes her head.  
“Tsk, fine, guess I have to give you a little bit of a chance, even though that was technically theft.”

“I did not know one could steal a kill.” 

Shortly after this, they both have to return to cover, as the Republic are now moving in heavier equipment, such as vehicles with weapons of their own. At the same time, the imperials are losing ground and troops as well, making the situation even more grim.  
When the fighting gets tighter, Nevasc is forced to grab her pistol after all, as they both practically stand back to back, in order to defend their position. They are both too stubborn to retreat with the rest, even though the Republic will likely overrun them soon.

“You know, I brought a few bottles of ne’tra gal with me”, Shae comments during the whole mess.

“Do you bring that poison with you wherever you go?”

Shae reaches her gun arm over the cover and blasts three soldiers trying to rush forward.  
“Only when I know I’ll get to enjoy them!”

“I see. And what are you trying to say by mentioning this?”

“Oh c’mon, you know what I’m saying already.”

“Perhaps I wish to hear you elaborate.”

Shae grins and shakes her head.  
“I think you owe me a bit of your spare time, and should share a few drinks with me when we’re done here.”

Nevasc rolls a thermal detonator in beneath one of the vehicles that get too close to her, and when the Republic soldiers jump off and try to get away, she is there to cut a few of them down.  
“I do not remember such an agreement being made.”

“It was implicit! We had a good fight and that requires a few drinks to celebrate afterwards. That’s the rules.”

The chiss frowns and has to throw herself in beneath some cover while she is bombarded by several more blasters.  
“…you just made that up.”

She can hear Shae chuckling.  
“Would I ever do that to you?”

“I am more than certain that you would.”

“Whatever you say, Neva.”

She rolls her eyes as her partner continues to butcher her name.  
“Is it difficult for mandalorians to pronounce my core name? It is not even particularly long.”

Shae shares a look with her, seemingly highly amused by Nevasc’s manners.  
“You’re cute, _Neva._ Think I like you.” 

The Executor shakes her head, but when she turns away, she can’t help but smile somewhat.  
The fighting continues and for whatever reason, they manage to hold their position long enough for some imperials to regain parts of the barricades, something they certainly wouldn’t have done without these two women.  
At that point, Protocol’s voice is heard again.  
“Executor, a particularly notable opponent managed to bypass the turret defenses and is advancing into the facility.”

Nevasc raises a doubtful eyebrow.  
“Just one? How did they manage that?”

“By scanning the weapon which was utilized, I believe that the individual mentioned may be a Jedi.”

Turning her gaze in the mandalorian’s direction, Nevasc sees how the grin on Shae’s lips almost seems predatory. Her eyes quickly shift back to the entrance.  
“Oh, this is gonna be fun. Whomever it is, they’re _mine.”_

Nevasc doesn’t know why Shae suddenly got so very eager, but she can’t let the mandalorian fight alone.  
“Only if you get to them first.”

As they peer out through the smoke and chaos past the opening to the hangar, it does not take long for them to notice something that distinguishes itself from the rest of the drab colors – the green glow of a lightsaber.  
They continue to wait, until they eventually spot the figure of a light-skinned male human with blonde hair and medium heavy armor. He enters the area with a serene look on his face, but somehow oozing of confidence as well.

The imperial soldiers foolishly engage him first and fire several shots towards him, partially out of a sense of panic. There’s also the belief that the Republic can now be beaten and killing this Jedi might grant the Empire a victory, but they clearly underestimate this fighter. He deflects several of their attempts, even pushing a few shots back in their direction, and kills one of them. After that, he charges into the air and lands among them, cutting down a few without much concern.

Shae takes this opportunity to fire a few shots of her own, but makes sure to stay behind cover. He easily defends himself against her blasts and the mandalorian probably knows that he plans to either get in close or at the very least use her own weapon against her.  
Before he has a chance to do so, Nevasc appears at his flank, trying to carve him with her blade and the Jedi has to switch techniques entirely, to defend himself from two very different assaults.  
Not wanting to become involved and get themselves killed, the imperials completely ignore them, hoping beyond anything else that the duo can take care of the Jedi. As suspected, they do not make it easy for him.

This isn’t the first time Nevasc has faced a Jedi, and she wasn’t alone the previous times either, but it is the first time that she has to actually have a close combat duel with one, without additional melee backup. This increases some of the respect she has for his Order, for despite her increased reflexes and speed, this Jedi keeps up with her every step along the way, while also deflecting any shots Shae delivers from a distance. Nevasc has no idea how the Force actually works, but from what the reports she has read about it says, it’s possible to increase ones physical and mental traits far beyond what most people can ever reach, even with implants. She hopes they’re wrong, in regard to this particular Knight.

The fight actually lasts no more than a minute, and while he could have taken either of these two alone, together, they seem to be too much for him. He tries to knock Nevasc back on a few occasions, and actually manages at one point, but his focus isn’t kept long enough to put her out of the fight entirely, because Shae’s shots keeps distracting him.  
Nevasc tries to use this to her advantage and attacks him from behind, which would force him to have to battle with one from behind and one in front of him, which was something he wanted to prevent.

Clearly, Jedi are no more perfect than others, and eventually, he makes a mistake, opening a small gap in his defenses which Shae immediately seizes upon and a blaster shot hits his chest. He grits his teeth in pain, trying to endure it as best as he can, but Nevasc will not give him that opportunity. Immediately after, his eyes widen in shock as her vibroblade digs into his back and all he can see is how blood stains his robes and armor, while his hands start to shake and he drops his weapon. 

“It appears your Order is not as invincible as it claims”, is the last he hears, before she retracts her blade and he falls to his knees. She could’ve twisted it around, but she doesn’t believe in torturing someone that is about to die anyway. Not when she feels no real malice. 

Shae doesn’t seem to share her beliefs however and fires a few extra shots into the Jedi, while his body already lies still on the ground.  
“Good riddance. Too bad he died way too easily, though.”

Nevasc watches her with interest for a moment, before she shrugs and looks towards the entrance again.  
“It appears that his comrades are retreating at least. They likely believed the Jedi was their best chance.”

Shae snorts and shakes her head.  
“Pathetic.”

Hoping to somehow raise Shae’s mood again, she puts the tip of her blade to the ground and rests her hand on it.  
“Total score?”

The mandalorian looks up, and some of the joy seems to return.  
“53.” 

At the same time, Shae is almost sure that she can see a hint of smugness on Nevasc’s features.  
“Decent, but not enough. 55 for me.”

Shae raises her arms in slight outrage.  
“Oh c’mon! You were cheating, I know it!”

“Do I look like the type of woman who would resort to such dishonest methods?”

Despite her usual mannerism, Nevasc can’t actually hide her amusement. It makes Shae grin in return.  
“There’s not a single doubt in my mind when I say that you definitely do.”  
She exhales and holsters her blade.  
“Either way, I guess I owe you a drink then.”

Nevasc’s expression softens and a very rare smile appears on her features.  
“I suppose you do.”


	4. Sardonic defeat

Nar Shaddaa. Shae wonders if she has been spending a bit too much time in Hutt space during the past few years. It’s not that she has gotten used to the overgrown and polluted moon or anything, but somehow feels a little bit more comfortable in some of its areas, especially the lower sections. Part of this is probably because a lot of well-paying bounties outside of the war can be attained here. She hopes that it’s the only reason too, because she doesn’t really feel like she’d want to start calling this shithole home. 

The reason she’s here today has nothing to do with any typical endeavors, like credits, drinking or fighting. Well, not the type which most people engage in around these parts, anyway.  
It has been a few months since she last encountered the chiss agent back on Ilysaria, and compared to the aftermath of the first meeting, this time, they stayed in contact. Shae managed to convince Nevasc to give her a holofrequency that could be used to send messages and even call occasionally. They have exchanged a few mails and had a conversation once or twice.  
Part of her is surprised why she would even be interested in having continued contact like this, while another is trying to push her in a direction that will probably end up being horribly foolish.

In the past several weeks, Shae has been asking around a lot, in hopes of getting the opportunity to see Nevasc face-to-face. She tried telling the agent directly through messages, but Nevasc kept avoiding the subject. However, there are a lot of citizens among the chiss and they’re bound to be as diverse as anyone, so Shae hoped that she could find someone that could potentially provide a meeting, or at least a location, for her.  
Most Ascendancy officials declined her requests for various reasons, but one rather anonymous individual seemed to open up to the idea and suggested that they see each other here on the Smuggler’s Moon. 

It's not that Shae doesn’t believe this can’t possibly be a trap – it certainly can - but if there’s even a sliver of a chance that this person can help her, then she needs to seize it.  
It’s not like her to get almost obsessed at the idea of seeing someone, but she tells herself that the difficulty in succeeding is what keeps her going. Perhaps it might also be that Nevasc has not been completely averse to it either. After all, did she not agree to exchange messages to begin with? Why else would she do that if she didn’t feel there was some kind of connection? What that connection might be, Shae can’t really say. Not yet, at least.

As Shae is pacing on the outskirts of an industrial complex, not far from the shuttle she used to get here, the evening is slowly passing into night. Her contact is at least an hour late, and the mandalorian is starting to feel really impatient. Was this all a ruse? A way to make her look like a fool? Better not have been, because otherwise, she’d have to find two people, with one of them being a target for her rage. 

Just before she wonders if it may be a good idea to leave, she hears noises out in the darkness past the next building, and what appears to be footsteps. Shae doesn’t grab her pistol, but she has her hand prepared to move at any moment, in case it’s needed.  
Shortly after, a familiar voice speaks up.  
“You seem to be rather tense. Do you not like spending much time in the dark?”

The fairly short-haired chiss reveals herself, as usually dressed in her white, black and grey armor, with the same weapons as last time. Shae wonders how she manages to keep it so polished.  
“Neva? What are you doing here? I thought-“

“You thought you would meet your contact? You are doing so at this moment.”

Shae arches a brow and then smiles faintly while shaking her head.  
“Dammit. Should’ve known it was you all along.”

“You should have, yes. It is difficult to search for information about me, without me hearing of it.” 

The mandalorian shrugs slightly in return.  
“Well, guess I managed to get what I wanted regardless. I’m glad you came out here personally.”

When Nevasc finally stops, there’s still several meters in between them and she raises her arms to cross them over her chest.  
“You have been making a lot of inquiries among my people. Almost too many.  
We do not usually respond to singular core names, as we are all part of the Ascendancy.”

This aligns with what Shae heard from several of the officials she spoke to but, seems it may not have been completely accurate.  
She smirks and places her hands at her hips.  
“But you made an exception for me, huh? Careful ‘Executor’, someone might think you’ve got a crush on me.”

She’s almost certain that she sees a glint in Nevasc’s eyes, but the chiss refuses to respond directly.  
“Why have you kept searching, Shae Vizla? What is your interest in me?”

Shae shrugs.  
“What, can’t I just wanna see you? That’s what I tend to do with other friends.”

Nevasc arches a skeptical eyebrow.  
“Friends?”

“Is that not what we are? We seem to be getting along at least.”

As always, the Executor is hard to read, but she doesn’t seem annoyed at the notion, at least.  
“We have been mailing and calling one another quite often. Is that not enough?”

Shae snorts briefly and diverts her eyes.  
“I dunno, that’s just so…impersonal.”

“And you are looking for something more intimate?”

“Sort of, yeah.”  
She turns to watch Nevasc again.  
“I want a rematch.”

“…rematch?”

“That’s right. Last time we met, you cheated.”

That slight hint of amusement which Shae is sure she recognized on Ilysaria, seems to be appearing again.  
“Did I? How would you have measured that?”

“I know you did! You just waited for me to give you a score so you could say you beat it.”

“If you are worried about my ability to count, there is no need. I am quite capable of memorizing numbers, even during combat.”

“Tsk, doesn’t matter!  
Listen, the point is that neither of us can be sure of who actually won back there. Even if you say you did, you have no proof, other than your word. And as for our first fight, that ended in a tie. It’s pretty clear to me that we need to settle who’s the better warrior between us, once and for all.” 

Nevasc exhales briefly and shakes her head.  
“I am not sure why it bothers you. Both of our encounters seemed adequate to me.”

“Yeah, of course you’d say that! You can claim that you won, even though you have no proof. We need to do this right.  
Besides, I have a reputation to uphold.”

Nevasc tilts her head curiously.  
“I do not recall tarnishing it in any way. I would not spread news of your humiliating defeat to anyone.”

Shae’s smirk widens somewhat. Not even a little bit smug about it, huh? Banthashit.  
“That’s not good enough. Or are you too scared to face me again, is that it? I wouldn’t blame ya, as it was a pretty close call back in that alley.”

The goading appears to work to a certain degree, even though the chiss likely tries to ignore it. She may reject the notion of having a strong sense of pride, but it’s definitely there.  
“You have been asking around for me quite considerably. Are you sure that a duel is the only reason you wished to speak to me, and _nothing_ else?”

It appears that Nevasc may be more aware of these types of social cues than what Shae had assumed.  
“I just haven’t had as much fun fighting someone, as I had with you.” 

“Is that a mandalorian compliment?”

“What do you think?”

At this stage, it is likely that Nevasc should stop getting involved with someone like Shae, as the more she is, the further she seems to get pulled in. Bizarre to liken her to some kind of gravitational force but, it’s accurate.  
“Let us pretend that I may be interested; how would you prefer to settle this ‘score’ between us?  
Asking me to come here just so that we could beat each other up seems rather foolish.”

“Yeah, I agree, which is why I had something different in mind.”  
Shae raises a hand, as a sign for her to wait, while the mandalorian moves back towards her shuttle. She opens the door and leans inside without fully entering and reaches for some gear. A short while later, she returns with what looks like two small black cylinders. At first, Nevasc believes it’s iron or steel, but when they collide, she wonders if it might be hard plastic.  
“Got these two practice staves that I’ve seen people using at times. Thought we could use them in a non-lethal session instead.”

Nevasc observes the tools in her hands, rather intrigued that she would choose something like that.  
“A fight without possible death? Not what I expected.”

“Tsk, you think I would’ve sent those mails to you just so I could kill you now?”

“I never rule such measures out.”

“Yeah well, don’t worry, if I wanted to do that, I wouldn’t bother asking how you’re doing over the holo first. I’d just fly over there and blast ya.” 

Nevasc shakes her head, not surprised at Shae’s lack of tact, even when she talks about assassination.  
“I will make sure to remember it.  
How do you wish to organize the fight?”

“Well, first of all, gotta lay down some ground rules. We’re gonna have to even the field a bit, remove possible ways to cheat or things that would make this unfair. That means no other weapons, no tools, no armors, no jetpacks, no AI and definitely no implants.”

Nevasc looks somewhat skeptical at the last part.  
“I hope you realize that I cannot function without my implants. Turning them off is not an option.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, you don’t need to remove them or anything. But you can juice them, right?”

“…are you asking if I can increase their efficiency? Yes, I can.”

“Then none of that.” 

It seems Shae is really adamant to make sure that Nevasc wouldn’t cheat, but she would have no plans to do so even if they used everything like last time. After all, she can’t ignore the satisfaction she would gain if she actually managed to beat Shae fair and square.  
“Very well, I accept. Are there any more rules you wish to add?”

“Yup. Now that we’re done with the basics, let’s establish the rules of the game itself.  
I suggest we go for a point system, where the first to five wins. You get one point for every hit on the body. That means arms, legs and head don’t count. The body is the focus.  
Oh, and the points needs to be announced too, so we’re both on the same page and neither of us gets the chance to cheat.”

“Do you intend to record the fight?”

Shae smirks at her and folds her arms.  
“Pft. You know, I realize you’re being sarcastic right now, but maybe I will, just so there won’t be any doubt as to who won.”

Nevasc shrugs.  
“I would not mind. It could be amusing to have proof of the time I humiliated you.” 

Shae points at her warningly with one of the staves.  
“Get out of that armor right now, before I head over there to kick your ass before we start.”

“I doubt your speed would be adequate enough to reach me.”

She gives Shae a last sly look, before she takes a few steps back and begins to open up her gear to place it along a nearby wall.  
Getting undressed like this outside, in the middle of nowhere on Nar Shaddaa, would probably be a most unwise idea for most people. But there’s no one else around as far as they can see, and even if there were, they would both make short work of such fools, even without weapons.

While Nevasc has turned around slightly to proceed with their assigned task, Shae can’t help but let her gaze linger somewhat in the chiss’ direction, while she removes her own pieces. The armor is quite symbolic for most mandalorians and Shae wonders if Nevasc realizes the significance of this kind of act. Most of her people would understand, but an aruetii might not.  
At the same time, Shae ponders for a moment if Nevasc might be showing off a little bit. She appears to go rather slowly and deliberately. Especially in certain ways that she seems to…bend, makes Shae suspicious if the chiss is testing her in return. Well, not that she isn’t a fascinating sight to watch.

When she’s done, Nevasc wanders towards Shae, practically with a slight sway of her hips when she goes. Her white short-sleeved shirt and thin pants sit rather tightly on her lithe body, which gets Shae’s attention.  
The mandalorian herself has a grey tank top and some looser black pants beneath. It doesn’t escape her notice that Nevasc’s eyes drifts down to the sturdy appearance of her arms. 

“Hmm, you’re smaller than I expected”, Shae comments quite casually.

Nevasc places her hands at her hips.  
“We cannot all be as monstrously tall as you.”

“C’mon, I’m not even that big!”

“Six feet is well above the human average.” 

Shae smiles amusedly at her.  
“Have you been measuring me?”

“Shall we begin?”

She chuckles at how effectively Nevasc can evade questions and then grabs one of the staves to toss in her direction. She grips one end of her own and twists it around slightly, which opens it up and allows it to extend to its full height, around two meters long, before locking it again.  
“Want me to count us down?”

Shae is only given the briefest of signs, by Nevasc curling her lips very faintly, before the chiss charges at her and Shae has to get her staff in the right direction to block.  
When their weapons are held together, Nevasc looks up to meet her eyes.  
“Numbers will be rather superfluous between us.”

Shae starts to grin.  
“Don’t start crying when you lose because of that overconfidence.”

“I thought that was your forte.” 

After this, the fight begins for real and this time around, they are both somewhat better prepared for the other’s tricks.  
While it starts out fairly even at first, it soon gets closer to how their unarmed encounter ended up the first time they fought. Shae realizes that Nevasc is certainly faster than her, even without using any advantages, and while her stamina might be greater, she figures that Nevasc is not one to be so foolish as to tire herself out. This is why, despite initially going on the defensive, Shae tries to switch tactics every now and then, and utilizes the opportunity for counterattacks whenever it is presented. After all, she doesn’t actually need to beat Nevasc, just hit her enough times to succeed. This is a contest of wits as much as reflexes.

Despite feeling somewhat confident at first, Nevasc manages to take her down a notch a short while later, as she ducks underneath one of Shae’s strikes and reaches up with her staff around the mandalorian, hitting her in the back. It makes Shae grit her teeth.  
“One”, Nevasc exclaims calmly.

“Bah, lucky strike.”

“I never rely on luck. And you kept your right flank open for too long.” 

Shae sneers slightly.  
“Yeah, thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” 

She swings her staff around a bit and then prepares for another assault. Instead of trying to get back into a sense of calm, she tries to utilize her annoyance to push herself, hoping it’ll drive her to pay more attention.  
This provides some positive results, as Nevasc makes a slight mistake when trying to strike Shae’s chest, and the mandalorian first deflects the staff, opening the gap up wider, and slaps her weapon at Nevasc’s side, just below the arm.  
“Hah! One!”

Nevasc furrows her brow, before attempting to calm down by rolling her shoulders and head around a bit. It can’t be avoided that Shae did get to her.  
“Clever.”

Shae smiles rather smugly towards her.  
“Got a bit confident for a while back there. Can’t let you think this game will be all yours.”

“We shall see.”

Part of the purpose for this session is not just to have a fight, of course, even if that is amusing. Shae wishes to evaluate how receptive Nevasc might be, and while they have been rather playful with each other so far, Shae hasn’t been given any completely obvious signs whether it’s closer to what she is interested in.  
However, she believes one of those appear later on during the fight.

The next two points both belong to Nevasc, with the second hitting Shae’s lower abdomen and the third, interestingly enough, slapping her ass. Shae was trying to get away at the time, and figured that the chiss would poke her in the back, even preemptively cursing herself. Instead, she ends up emitting a slight gasp at the far more suggestive choice.  
She looks over her shoulder and is met by a similarly spirited shimmer in Nevasc’s eyes.

“You need to be more attentive.” 

Shae sighs and shakes her head while she hits the ground with the butt of her staff.  
“You’re way too fast. Figured I’d be able to get past it without wearing any armor, but it’s hard to keep up.”

Nevasc angles her head somewhat curiously.  
“Or perhaps you are simply too distracted?”

As this is said, Shae realizes that her own eyes were already travelling, and she has to shake it off.  
“Shut up.”

The next stage gets a little bit more aggressive and Shae goes at her with more strength. Speed and defense hadn’t worked so far, so she has to try what she’s good at, and for a while, Nevasc has to be the one to defend herself instead.  
While Nevasc tries to block one of her strikes, Shae knocks her hard enough that she stumbles backwards and hits the wall. Might’ve been part of the plan, but Nevasc isn’t stupid enough to lower her guard for long and gets her weapon up just in time to parry the next shot.

They both keep their weapons held up against each other, struggling for dominance or perhaps measuring each other’s strengths.  
“If you aim to gain points, this is not a very good strategy”, Nevasc says, her voice slightly strained.

Holding her like this, Shae ends up very close, their bodies not too far from touching, with only the weapons in between them. At this proximity, they can feel the air being emitted, as both hit the other's skin.  
“You sure? Feels like you’re losing ground.”

“It is not about holding ground, but gaining points.” 

“Maybe I’ll just take both.” 

When Nevasc looks up next, she shows another small smile.  
“I wonder if you are capable enough for that.”

“Let’s see, shall we?”

Nevasc eventually breaks free, but she can’t avoid the opportunity to grant Shae a second point, when hitting her back. She doesn’t seem to mind however, and quickly snatches a fourth point for herself almost immediately on the next bout.  
Shae struggles hard after this, probably realizing that she’s on the verge of losing. Well, the fact that Nevasc only has one point left should be proof enough, but for her, the battle occurs on a stage that goes beyond the score. Either way, the chiss can end it all now and while it has been fun, she is very tempted.

The last session is rather intense, with Nevasc trying out several modes of attack and Shae desperately guarding against them each time. It’s almost impressive how she manages to keep herself in the match, even though this means that she hardly gets any opportunities to push them into a tie. She has been playing catch-up the entire fight so far, and this time is no different.  
After a while, Nevasc almost feels sorry for her, as this is really not her element. If it was just about trying to knock the other one down, she could’ve won easily, but as the goal is to actually use clever tactics and achieve precise hits, without any range, it shows that she chose the wrong game to play with Nevasc. 

Doing the merciful thing, Nevasc waits until the perfect opportunity shows itself, subverts Shae’s guard and pokes her own staff right in against the mandalorian’s chest.  
“Five.”  
As it is done, she takes a step back and breathes out, caught in a combination of relief and self-satisfaction.  
“It appears you chose the wrong type of duel. You shouldn’t have challenged me on a field where I had the advantage.”

Shae is panting as well, looking no more than mildly disappointed.  
“Maybe that was the point, huh?”

“The point was to lose?”

She watches Shae and sees how the mandalorian gives her a strange look. She’s not sure if it’s a glare or not, but she doesn’t have much time to contemplate it either. In a surprising explosion of movement, Shae raises her own staff and quickly disarms Nevasc by knocking hers away. Next, she takes a step forward and shoves Nevasc away, letting her back hit the wall. Not the kind of move she expected, but she managed to dampen it on her own.  
She doesn’t manage to get very far however, as Shae follows and slams her hand up at the wall, right next to Nevasc, while staring intently into her eyes.

“Who says you’ve won?”

As they both remain motionless at this location, they are very close now, more so than they were previously. Their chests heave in slight exhaustion, their eyes searching one another, as Nevasc rests her fingers along the wall.  
Both had noticed certain signs during the fight, but it was difficult for either to assess the validity behind them, without making fools of themselves. 

“Are you implying that you did?”, Nevasc asks quietly.

Shae swallows, not enough to be audible, but certain visible, due to the very small distance between them. Nevasc can see her hand clenching somewhat, and wonders if she’d rather try to crush the wall than try to express what it is she wants.  
“I dunno. You tell me.”

Once more, she shows to be the one ready to make the action happen, and raises her other hand up to Nevasc’s cheek, caressing it gently, but with the intent of angling the chiss’ face up further. Following this, she leans down, closing her eyes and then envelops her lips around the other woman’s, in a fierce kiss.  
At first, Nevasc isn’t sure how to react, what would be most appropriate to do or say, but at this stage, perhaps there’s only one thing to really do. Therefore, she shuts her own lids and does her utmost to reciprocate, showing that she’s willing. 

The kiss starts eager, albeit not too harshly, but quickly increases in velocity and passion. Each measure of desire is met by an equal amount, even though their bodies hardly seem to shift. Shae figures that she’s the one who has to guide them forth, which is why her hand soon leaves the wall, travelling down along her shorter companion’s side and slips under the shirt. It might sit tightly on Nevasc’s body, but not enough that it would stop Shae’s advance, who grasps at the exposed skin and continues on its journey further up, towards her breasts. 

While Nevasc is usually rather calm and collected, it appears this act somehow gets her going, and increases her excitement substantially. She leans into Shae, pushing their bodies together more so than they were before, letting the mandalorian tear her shirt off. It is quickly discarded on the ground, while Shae places a hand on Nevasc’s ass and raises her into the air. It appears they had the same thought, as Nevasc uses her legs to surround Shae’s waist and then gets carried back towards the shuttle. 

The last thing heard on the outside is Nevasc emitting a soft moan as Shae bites into her neck, and they disappear into the darkness.


	5. Physical diplomacy

One of the longer and bigger seats in the back of a shuttle may not be the most appropriate nor comfortable place to perform the kind of activities which Shae and Nevasc have indulged in the past few hours, but neither of them seemed to care much. Thankfully, there were a few blankets available to put on as cover for them lie on top and there are more if they need anything above them later on. 

Despite both of them having quite a bit of natural stamina, even with the duel they had beforehand, it has depleted at this point and neither can do much else than rest in their temporary makeshift bed. While Nevasc lies with her back against the seats, Shae rests half of her body on the seats and the other half somewhat sprawled out over the chiss.  
As Nevasc lazily runs a hand through the red hair, Shae has snuggled into the side of the Executor’s chest, while slowly stroking a few fingers over Nevasc’s stomach. 

“Well, this was certainly not what I had expected when I came here. Although, it was not necessarily…unwelcome either”, Nevasc comments quietly.

Shae chuckles softly and keeps her eyes closed as she nudges her nose against Nevasc’s skin.  
“Yeah, I’d say it was definitely worth going through a bit of pain.”

“I tend to agree, against my better judgement.”

“Pft. If you had better judgement, you wouldn’t be messing around with me so much.”

“I blame you. You must have tainted my sensibilities somehow.”

Shae smirks and slowly rises a bit, angling her body to resume some of what they had been doing before. Nothing too passionate or hasty, but simply letting her lips stroll across Nevasc’s body, kissing her way from the stomach, up towards the chest.  
“Or maybe I hoped to open your mind to the wonders of the galaxy?”

Nevasc rolls her eyes.  
“I doubt sleeping with a mandalorian is what most would call a ‘wonder’.”

Shae grins somewhat in response.  
“You sure? Can you honestly tell me that anyone has ever satisfied you better than I have?”

For a moment, Nevasc is simply quiet, opening her eyes to look into Shae’s and then leans back down.  
“…that information is classified.”

A laughter is heard from the other woman.  
“Whatever you say, Neva.”

By now, Nevasc has gotten so used to the nickname – or rather the shortened version of her actual name – that she won’t even bother correcting her companion. Part of her still wants to, but she resists. Shae will enjoy it too much.  
“I suppose you only received part of what you desired, however. You did not win.”

Shae has made her way further up now, enough to nuzzle into Nevasc’s neck for a while. She certainly seems to have fun.  
“Mm, I dunno. I did get a prize.”

“Perhaps, but this award can escape whenever she wishes to.” 

“Maybe, but I know she won’t want to.” 

She nudges her nose against Nevasc’s cheek and despite trying to continue the fight, the chiss does show her a small smile.  
“You are such an annoyance.” 

“Damn right”, Shae says, with a slight grin, before she begins kissing further down again.  
“Well, I suppose I did not win the fight again, but I’m satisfied enough to have had you scream my name.” 

“…pardon? You must have misheard. I never screamed.”

Shae bursts into a gentle laughter, part of her hair covering her face while she does.  
“Sure you didn’t.” 

Nevasc decides to look at her, even with a mild sense of irritation and raises her hand to push some of the hair away.  
“Did you orchestrate this entire thing, I wonder? It did seem very…convenient.”

“What, you think I let you win?”  
She arches her brow and runs her fingers along Nevasc’s right side.  
“Would that annoy you?”

“I am unsure. It might not matter, as you still did not win.”

Shae snickers slightly while she shakes her head.  
“Don’t worry, it wasn’t all a game. I truly did my best and you beat me, fair and square.  
However, I'll admit that the result was always on my mind. If I'd won, I would probably have demanded a prize.”

Nevasc snorts.  
“And in spite of losing, you took it anyway.”

“Well, yeah. Lying down like this, with you in my arms…”  
She brushes her lips over Nevasc’s breasts, while her hand grasps at the thighs.  
“It was a difficult dream to deny.” 

They may not have enough stamina to continue as they did before, but this lazier and more casual touch seems to be something they both enjoy.  
Nevasc can’t help but close her eyes during most of the ministrations, savoring it more than she will let Shae know. Part of the resistance is likely due to a feeling which tells her that she shouldn’t. It’s not something that can last forever and she can’t get used to it, will not allow herself to. That said, she will relish it for as long as she’s able to.

Shae continues to caress her, hands running across supple skin, occasional exposed muscles and certain imperfections. Nevasc is not without her scars, after all, and Shae seems eager to explore each one.  
“I suppose I must add another characteristic to your dossier.” 

At that moment, Shae lifts Nevasc’s right arm a bit, to kiss the wrist.  
“And what might that be?”

“How you can be very…handsy.” 

This seems to amuse Shae, who gives her a brief glance, but certainly doesn’t stop.  
“Well, can you blame me? There’s a lot to touch.” 

After finishing her sentence, Shae's hands spread out, going for different places. One envelops and caresses Nevasc’s breasts, using less force than they did previously. The other travels along her side, guiding it down to her hips and the uncovered cheeks down below. Because of how Nevasc is lying, the latter is easy to reach and while it first seems like Shae is simply running them in a restful tour, it soon departs for a brief moment, before returning rather swiftly, spanking her playfully.  
Not being ready for this, Nevasc twitches and gasps gently, before giving the smirking Shae a thoroughly unamused gaze.

“You are enjoying yourself too much.” 

“Try to stop me then”, she challenges, while pushing herself further up and once more seizes Nevasc’s cheeks, guiding them both into a kiss. This one is much more tender and thoughtful, meant to let them express their softer emotions, rather than the passion.  
Even though she may complain, Nevasc does like it quite a lot and returns it as best as she can. 

Soon after, they resume the act of simply holding each other, with Nevasc allowing Shae to pull her close, so that she can rest against the mandalorian’s shoulder. This gives Shae an opportunity to watch and study the chiss further. Not that she hasn’t seen a lot of her already at this point, but she has some questions about other, non-sexual related topics too.

“Hey, you mind if I ask you about something personal?”

Nevasc’s eyes are closed for the moment, but one of her hands is still inside Shae’s hair.  
“Do you have a particular subject in mind?”

“I do, actually. It’s about your…implants.”

The Executor slowly opens her eyes and looks up, searching Shae’s gaze before she continues.  
“You may ask, but I cannot promise that I will answer.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t want to know their secrets or how they work. I just…”  
She furrows her brow in concentration and sighs.  
“I mean, how…extensive are they?”

Nevasc raises an eyebrow curiously before shrugging a bit.  
“They do indeed reach very far.”

“How far, though?”

“Much of my skeleton is replaced, for example. There are also ones to improve or alter certain natural processes.”

“Can you monitor and juice each one of them?”

At first, she thinks to shake her head, but reconsiders, as the answer is two-fold.  
“Yes and no. Monitoring each one is not difficult, as they are just technology, but I cannot enhance all of them. Some are just there to make me function properly.” 

The last few words in particular, seems to interest Shae.  
“How so? Were you injured in the past or something?”

Nevasc hesitates and contemplates how, or if, to answer. She then diverts her eyes, even though her expression otherwise remains the same.  
“No, it has nothing to do with injuries.”  
She takes a deep breath, holding it for a second and then gradually emits it.  
“I was born with rather substantially diminished mobility.” 

“…diminished?”

“There were a few complications with my body before birth, and once I was extracted, it was apparent that I had certain genetic defects. It weakened large parts of my body and made me unable to move properly.”

Shae widens her eyes, not having been prepared for such a revelation.  
“Oh. Shit. I uh, I’m sorry to hear that.” 

Nevasc ignores the apology and continues.  
“It is likely that I would have died early on, but medical technology had no problems keeping me alive. Once I grew a bit older, they informed me that it would be plausible to rectify my situation.”  
She slides back a bit on the bed, in order for her to look at Shae better.  
“They gave me two choices; either I live the rest of my life in a hoverchair - which would certainly be possible, and with assistance, I could have close to a normal life - or I choose to have much of my body altered to a substantial degree, giving me the possibility of not just reaching an average level of mobility, but surpassing that of most other chiss.  
Obviously, I chose the latter.” 

“Why?”

Nevasc frowns, but it isn’t specifically aimed at Shae.  
“Because I refused to be stuck in a device like that chair and be rendered helpless for eternity. My life would be worth more than that.” 

By the look on Shae’s face, she hasn’t quite determined her feelings yet.  
“But don’t many implants come with their own risks? Slicers, EMP weapons, malfunctioning technology…”

Nevasc shrugs in return.  
“Of course, but life is not without its risks either way. In my line of work, I could not avoid it and I would rather take those perils, than face the alternative.”

Not completely unreasonable, even if there may be some downsides, in Shae’s mind.  
“I see. But didn’t your people ask you to pay them back, for giving you that chance?”

The Executor simply nods, not seeming particularly concerned.  
“Yes, obviously.”

“And that…doesn’t bother you?”

“No, why would it?”

Shae isn’t sure what to respond with at first.  
“I…I dunno. Why would it not? I mean, wouldn’t they ask a lot?” 

Nevasc inclines her head, continues to watch Shae rather unfazed.  
“They did and still do, but I do not mind. I am proud to serve the Ascendancy. Had I been born in the Republic or the Empire, the possibility of my survival would be thoroughly reduced, but we operate differently in our society, as nothing and no one should be wasted.  
In return, I want to be a benefit to my people, just like everyone else. ‘Paying them back’ as you say, is not a burden, but a privilege.”

In contrast, Shae almost seems to consider it as a bizarre notion.  
“Really? That’s it? You took this option just to serve your society?”

“We all serve in some capacity and I do not wish to be of any less use to them. Should I have taken the option with the hoverchair, I would not be as pleased as I am.  
When I grew even older, it was for this reason that I chose to receive upgrades with further enhancements, which is why they changed my place in the Ascendancy to a more appropriate position.” 

“As this…Executor? Whatever that is.”

“Correct.” 

Obviously, the secrecy of Nevasc’s organization is a whole other issue, but likely not one she’ll ever gain any answers for, at least not from Nevasc herself.  
“And you’re happy with this choice you’ve made? No regrets at all?” 

Nevasc briefly shakes her head.  
“None. I understand that it is different for mandalorians, but for my people, and me in particular, discipline, loyalty and obedience is important to us. If we cannot fulfill what is expected, some of us…tremble. It is why I did everything I could to change who I was.”

Actually knowing that Nevasc had so many cybernetic implants wasn’t especially shocking. Lots of people have implants, even though various societies don’t hand them out as easily. But it’s the thought of how Nevasc views them, herself and the Ascendancy, which Shae can’t quite wrap her head around.  
“Well, not that I wanna convince you that you’re wrong or anything. It’s just so…weird to me.” 

Nevasc observes Shae’s troubled expression and raises a hand to poke her nose gently.  
“Or perhaps you are simply too obsessed with notions of independence.” 

This helps relieve some of the tension and Shae chuckles instead.  
“Yeah, maybe. We do have very different ideas of life.” 

Before she has a chance to drift any further, Nevasc seizes her chin and pulls her back down, letting some intimacy distract them. During the evening and night so far, the Executor hasn’t tried to initiate a lot of it, but when she does, Shae finds it very pleasant.  
As they kiss, Nevasc may try to display that there is no ill feelings regarding their differences and wraps one leg around Shae’s waist, making sure she stays as close as possible. This allows Shae to run one of her hands through Nevasc’s hair instead, momentarily intensifying the kiss. 

Eventually, they find another pit stop and this time, Shae rests her head on top of Nevasc’s chest, seemingly finding the natural pillows quite enjoyable.  
“I suppose it may be true that what I told you is only part of my entire motive”, Nevasc says with a soft tone, while caressing Shae’s back.

“Figured there must’ve been more to it. It’s your choice whether you wanna tell me everything.” 

She rarely gets a chance to speak with anyone of these types of feelings, as they’re either unnecessary or unwanted. Sharing with anyone except very close family is rare, and Nevasc has few of those.  
“I had a few personal concerns as well.”

“Such as?”

Nevasc closes her eyes, hoping that doing so will help her to open other senses.  
“I hated being stuck in the way I was. I felt trapped, useless. It was impossible for me to see or do other things, experience life and the galaxy. With how limited I was, there were no opportunities for me to test myself.  
This is why I constantly try to stay in shape nowadays, as to not let myself dwindle. I refuse to ever let that happen.” 

These sentiments bring a smile to Shae’s lips, wondering if they’re not so different after all.  
“I understand and think I can relate a whole lot more to that kind of idea. I’ve had…similar experiences, when I was wounded pretty badly.”

“Then you see why I would choose anything to counteract it.” 

“Yeah, guess I do.” 

For several minutes, they simply lie there together, letting the silence and the serenity of the night take them. They both feel themselves drifting towards sleep, but neither wants to let it slip past them that easily. Who knows what’ll occur in the morning?

“So, what will happen now?”, Nevasc asks.

“What do you mean?” 

Trying to bring back some of that previous ease, Shae is pretty sure that she can hear some amusement in Nevasc’s voice.  
“Well, try to consider the idea of an outsider getting involved with a mandalorian leader. How would your people react?”

Shae opens her eyes, smirks and rests her chin again Nevasc’s chest, while the chiss angles her head to look back at her.  
“Leader?”

“Are you not?”

She chuckles slightly.  
“Not exactly. We don’t really operate that way.” 

“Well, you are as close to that position among clan Vizla as anyone could possibly be.” 

“And how would you know about that, huh?”

Nevasc arches her brow, almost seeming self-satisfied.  
“Are you really asking me why I would have information about you at this point?” 

This time, she laughs somewhat louder instead.  
“Oh, right, forgot that you like stalking me.” 

“Spying is a more appropriate term.”

“No it’s not. Not for how intense you get about it, anyway.” 

“If you say so.” 

Shae shakes her head, still smiling a bit.  
“Don’t know if I agree about the whole leader thing but, honestly, nothing special is gonna happen. We had sex and if you prefer, that’s where we’ll leave it.” 

“Are you certain?”

Shae sits up a bit now and tilts her head curiously. How far is Nevasc really playing with her? It’s usually hard to tell.  
“Well, not unless you want it to.” 

Nevasc displays a faint smile of her own, lifting a hand to stroke two fingers slowly down Shae’s chest.  
“Perhaps I shall consider it, depending on the mandalorian customs.  
Is it your people’s leaders who claim consorts? I can never remember with all you outsiders.”

Shae laughs once more, knowing that Nevasc is simply trying to either tease or mock her. Perhaps a little bit of both. Although, if there’s any actual approval behind it all…well, that would be interesting.  
She then grabs Nevasc by the hips and forcefully pulls her further down the seats, rather than slide up on her own. This allows their faces to be mere inches away from one another.  
“Not usually, but I can make an exception for you.”

It isn’t completely certain, but in the way that Nevasc’s face strains somewhat, it appears she’s trying to hold back either a smirk or a laughter.  
While lying in this position, she raises a hand to gently caress one of Shae’s cheeks, her red and somewhat glowing eyes observing the hazel ones above her.  
“In that case, be careful. You might create a diplomatic incident if my superiors find out.” 

“Tsk, and how would they even do that, huh? You wouldn’t tell them, I know that much.  
Is your AI still watching us or something?”

Nevasc looks both a bit skeptical and amused.  
“Watching? Protocol cannot see us.”

“No? Pretty sure it did in that base on Ilysaria.”

“Yes, due to the fact that it was plugged into the facilities’ systems. It could utilize the cameras inside.  
Currently, it cannot see us, merely monitor me through my implants.”

“Okay, but it clearly knows what we’ve been doing, right?”

“It will be able to confirm that I never screamed your name, yes.” 

Shae leans her head back in another laughter, before embracing Nevasc once again. Incident or not, she doesn’t really care – it’s difficult to see a future without this woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Yes, I realize that there are several parallels between these two and Cierah/Jovana (my IA and BH)._   
>  _However, while they do have a few things on the surface level that may seem to be the same, I still feel the differences are rather obvious. To me, anyway._   
>  _What makes this couple work, in comparison to the other agent/mandalorian one, also includes another set of elements._


	6. For honor

The planet of Gargon, in the Mandalorian sector of space, is usually not one that sees a lot of traffic from travelers. Mining and the occasional trade ships tend to be what comes through this system, especially because the world has always been rich of the metallic alloy known as phobium. That happens to also be the only reason the mandalorians themselves hold it, and few are ready to test their might. To consider the thought of actual fighting occurring on this world, would be quite unusual and most would dismiss the idea long beforehand.

This is why it surprises most of the locals to hear of combat taking place in the jungles of the easternmost continent, something which has been going for days. It’s not just strange because Gargon isn’t, and never has been, a strategic focal point in any way, but also due to the fact that the war between the Empire and Republic ended a few years ago now. While an uncertain cold war seems to linger, at least there aren’t any clashes, like what they’ve had during the prior three decades; that’s what everyone would’ve assumed, at least.  
Unfortunately, it is not the Empire and Republic who are fighting.

Deep within the Kharjetas jungles, people dressed in heavy armor of a wide variety of styles and designs, engages in battles that can be deemed as rather personal. There are no cannons, tanks or ships being used - only guns, explosives and physical power. If one would come closer to actually inspect the appearance of the armors being worn, however, it is likely that they’d see how the design being used on both sides is distinctly mandalorian, as are the tactics and any commands being called out.

On a few particular positions, around temporary barracks, it appears that some have carved out their place, dug in and waited for their attackers to come at them, which is exactly what the ones holding the siege are actually doing. As afternoon drifts towards evening, another assault is launched, creating even more disarray than there was previously. 

When about half an hour of static fighting has gone by, one of the defensive sites finds itself to be losing their ground and has to fall back rather substantially. It may be that they’ll lose it entirely, as the warriors behind the barricades can’t seem to defend their positions properly.  
As they feel the worst looming over them, that’s when a handful of warriors swoop in from another flank, but instead of aiding the attack, they help the defenders fight their enemies. 

At the forefront of these people is a particularly notable figure, in otherwise pretty bland steel grey armor, with only a few minor colorful additions in red on the helmet and shoulders. This person charges into the attackers with far more ferocity and enthusiasm than most of the others, gunning a few down with her pistols and even getting in close to deliver brutal and devastating punches. None are left alive, as would be expected. When they defeat a foe, the only honorable thing is to kill them afterwards. When the enemy is mandalorian as well, that becomes even more crucial.

Once the enemy around this particular location has been taken down, the leader throws off her helmet, revealing a fair-skinned and red-haired individual that most of the group here are familiar with. She strolls up to one of her warriors, punches him in the shoulder and then knocks another on her helmet.

“Be a little bit more attentive, will you? We’re not fucking around here!”

Both of them, and several of the others, look unsure, stepping back and angling their heads so that their helmets face the ground.  
“S-sorry, Shae. We weren’t ready for their kind of tactics”, one of the men says.

“Yeah…most of them seemed very experienced”, a young woman adds.

Shae frowns as she glances in between them.  
“Well, sorry isn’t gonna fucking cut it out here! Our enemies aren’t some rookie Imp soldiers or idiot Rep troopers. These are _our people_ and they know what we’re like, more than anyone else. If you don’t think outside the box, you’ll end up as dead as those on the ground.” 

Silence continues among the group for a little while longer, letting them hear the battles that still wages on other sides of the jungle. Whether they are doing better than this group is hard to tell.  
“But…Shae, do you actually believe we can do this?” one of the other young mandalorians asks.  
“They have the numbers, experience and possibly even equipment on their side. What if we fail?”

Shae peers at them and continues to look rather disapproving.  
“No one’s forcing you to be here, kid. If you don’t want to, then you should get the fuck out. I have no need for warriors who don’t have the stomach to fight anyone in their way, even their own people.”

Not exactly a great inspiration, if one were to use Republic or Imperial mindsets, but mandalorians tend to view motivation and morale differently.  
Just before Shae is about to leave, two young people step forward and she realizes that she recognizes the patterns – Valk and Jos from clan Beroya. She has heard that they are close, possibly even together, but it’s only rumors.

“We won’t abandon you, Shae”, Valk comments.  
“You didn’t get us into this fight, but we want to back you and your beliefs anyway. And clan Beroya doesn’t give in that easily.”

Jos nods and folds his arms.  
“Damn right. If these bastards think they can take us down without a proper fight, then they’re mistaken.” 

Shae inclines her head.  
“Glad to hear that some of you have the guts for it. But words aren’t enough here, kid. Gotta prove yourself through actions too.”

Valk snorts and nudges Jos somewhat playfully, before she looks at Shae.  
“We’ll show you and all the rest how strong we can be. When you decide to announce yourself, you’ll be glad to have clan Beroya at your side.” 

She rolls her eyes, figuring that they’d say that and shakes her head.  
“Look, no one will be given preferential treatment. We’re all here because we have the same point of view.” 

Jos clears his throat.  
“’course, but we’re just saying that…well, you know where you’ll have us.” 

While Shae thought that she made it pretty clear why she chose to come here, others are still stuck on the possibility of what she might do, even if she doesn’t want anything to do with such suggestions. Politics isn’t for her, even if it’s mandalorian politics.  
“Okay, let’s not-“  
She stops, as all of them seem to hear further noise through the jungle. She narrows her eyes and grabs her weapons again.  
“Let’s discuss this more in detail later on. We’ve got a fight to win.”

The mandalorians around her cheer and show eager gestures by hammering their chests or beating their weapons together, before hurrying up to the barricades.  
Shortly after, another firefight breaks out and despite how one might believe that Shae being present makes it easier for them, it appears that they still perform fairly well all on their own. Perhaps they stand a chance here after all.

While she focuses on placement, giving orders and watching the battlefield, more than all enemy movement, she completely misses out on a few of their foes moving in on their flank.  
Shae tries to rearrange the positioning of her fellow mandalorians to make up for any possible mistakes, hoping to minimize losses, but before they have to actually think of such complications, a few blaster shots flies out from somewhere among the trees and kills at least two of their flanking opponents. Shae’s team looks surprised, but they don’t have much time to consider it as they instead return to taking down the rest.

The fight eventually ends with another victory, which of course means further survival, but Shae stays alert, as she wants to know what the hell happened out there. When she does, her senses pick up movement along the eastern flank and she raises her pistol towards the woods, waiting to see what’s about to happen. The younger warriors hadn’t spotted it at first, but then follow her example.  
That’s when two more bodies fall out from among the bushes, both of them not just dead, but also somewhat bloody. They don’t have to contemplate the perpetrator for long, as a woman steps out from her hiding place in the darkness, holding a vibroblade which she wipes off on the bodies of her targets.

“Have I not mentioned that you tend to lose situational awareness when you get excited in combat?” 

Not for the first time, Shae finds herself both elated and surprised to see the appearance of this particular woman, something which makes her smile, even though she tries not to.  
“Why would I have to worry about it, though? I know you always have my back, Neva.”

The chiss arches her eyebrow as she raises her blade to put it back in its scabbard. She doesn’t seem amused.  
“This time, yes, but you won’t be this lucky all the time. If it occurs again, you might get severely injured.”

“Tsk. As if you would let them.” 

Nevasc has to stop in her tracks when she notices how several of the other warriors still have their guns raised in her direction.  
“It appears some of your clan does not realize this.” 

Shae blinks and then follows her gaze, frowning when she sees what’s going on, steps up to them and personally lowers their weapons.  
“Hey, stand down! You’re aiming at an ally, you idiots.” 

They seem surprised that she would say this, but do as they are told.  
“You…know this woman, Shae?”, Jos asks.

Shae smiles, nods and glances in Nevasc’s direction.  
“Oh, I know her more than I know most of my own clan.”

This information surprises most of the other mandalorians, who look at Nevasc with renewed interest.  
“We…didn’t know you were close to anyone outside of your clan”, Valk comments, seemingly speaking for the rest of the group.

In the meantime, Nevasc stands there with her hands at her hips.  
“I did not realize that I would be given so much attention by your people.”

Shae smirks slightly.  
“They get a little bit excited when they face a killer like you.”

Nevasc shrugs.  
“I do not mind. After all, they get to watch a professional in action.”

Shae shakes her head amusedly, while jumping over the barricades and decreasing the distance between her and Nevasc. When she’s close enough, she places a hand on the chiss’ shoulder.  
“It’s good to see you again. Been a while.” 

It doesn’t evade Nevasc’s notice that this gesture is rather affectionate, even if it might be a bit restrained, probably because they are in public.  
“I suppose it has, yes.” 

“What brings you here, then?” 

Nevasc blinks and then tilts her head curiously.  
“You, of course. What else?”

She gains a somewhat contemplate gaze from Shae, as if she’s unsure how to respond.  
“Well, I…figured you might have some other motive.”

“I do not. Is that strange?”

“Not necessarily strange, just…not what I expected. You disappeared, without a trace. Didn’t even get a reason.”

An understanding seems to dawn in Nevasc’s mind, as if she didn’t quite get what it might have been about earlier.  
After the first time they ended up in bed together, they did not just leave each other be and continued with their lives. Instead, they accepted their feelings and mutual attraction for what it was, and tried to indulge it, whenever the need was there. They became lovers.  
While they both had a lot of things that kept them apart, every now and then, they seized the opportunity to see each other in private and act upon all the bottled-up emotions. This has kept going for a few years, all the way into this galactic cold war.  
And then, a little less than a year ago, Nevasc suddenly stopped sending messages. Not that absence has been something unexpected for either of them, as it sometimes goes a few months between being able to properly talk, but this time, the separation seemed longer, more permanent. Nevasc didn’t realize what effect that must’ve had on Shae.

Nevasc decides to lower her voice somewhat.  
“Did I give you any indication that I would not come back?”

“Well, no, but silence tends to be pretty obvious proof.”  
Shae diverts her eyes somewhat.  
“I was…afraid I might’ve said something wrong.” 

Even if it’s not severe, Nevasc realizes that Shae probably must have felt some semblance of fear that she might’ve broken something which was important to both of them. Seeing this now, Nevasc can’t help but feel a sense of shame building up in her gut, for having taken Shae down that route.  
Smiling faintly, Nevasc raises her own hand to place it on top of Shae’s.  
“Do not worry, it had nothing to do with what you said. It was not your fault. I was merely quite busy. I apologize for not making that clear.”

Shae returns the gesture with a warm smile of her own.  
“Glad to hear it. And, well, thanks for the save back there.” 

“No need. I would always come for you.” 

While Shae wants to say something else, she glances over her shoulder and sees that they have a bit of an audience, so she steps back and speaks both to Nevasc, as well as the rest of the group.  
“Well, now that the fighting seems to be done around here, maybe we should check the perimeter.”

Nevasc’s eyes shift in their direction too and she nods curtly.  
“Of course, that might be beneficial.”

Shae points at the younger warriors.  
“Clean up some of these bodies, fix the broken barricades and prepare yourselves for future assaults while I’m gone.”

They hesitate for only a second before they return to work, allowing the duo to move off alone, out of hearing range.  
Once they are, Nevasc turns her attention somewhat upwards again, to watch Shae’s face, realizing it is rather good to be around her once more.  
“So, perhaps you can explain to me what is happening here. Why have you started this war? Or whatever you wish to classify it as.”

Shae appears quite amused by the suggestion.  
“War? You call this a war?” 

“There is definitely a lot of shooting and killing.” 

“Well, yeah, but that doesn’t make it a war. If it were, there would be a lot more environmental destruction and, obviously, people.  
What you’ve seen here is nothing more than a fight of honor, for various reasons.” 

Obviously. Why would she have believed anything else?  
“Of course, I should have known. You mandalorians and your honor…”, Nevasc mutters, while sighing. 

Shae grins at her.  
“Yep. It tends to get that way when we’re involved.”  
She lowers one of her hands to run it along Nevasc’s chin, tilting her face in the right direction, so that they can watch each other.  
“But it’s why you love me, right?”

Nevasc snorts.  
“No comment.”

Shae expected as much, but finds the response funny nevertheless. She lets her go and straightens herself.  
“I know you do.”

“When did this start?”

“This fight? Just a few days ago.”

“Well, then how did the conflict itself come to be?”

Shae takes a deep breath and folds her arms, trying to arrange her memories correctly.  
“We’d have to go back towards the end of the war to properly get into why this became an issue at all.”

“That was only few years ago now.” 

“I know, but that’s when I started to, you know, get vocal.”

“About what?”

“My people’s place in the galaxy.”  
This seems to get Shae into a more serious mood, but that’s how Nevasc wants her, in order to get the full explanation.  
“I disagreed with Mandalore about certain elements of our lifestyle.”

“I hope you do not mind when I say that I wish to have more details of what elements those might be.” 

Shae smiles and shrugs.  
“Well, you know, our ‘cooperation’ with the Sith Empire. I told him it was time we started thinking differently. We fought on their side during the war, and I thought it was the more logical choice, even if there were a few people who didn’t like it. I believe most of those opinions back then arose because our last Mandalore was weak-willed and easily manipulated. Our current one is different and far more cautious of the Empire. A smart guy.”

Nevasc knows this already, but she does like hearing Shae’s opinion of it.  
“I see. So, why did you disagree with him?”

She exhales deeply.  
“Because now the war is over, and we don’t need to continue living in the past. When given the chance, I told him I thought we should go independent, abandon our alliance and stop being imperial puppets. Instead of helping them rebuild, we should focus on ourselves while we can.  
Naturally, he disagreed.”

Nevasc realizes that this must’ve occurred during the time that they were still together, before this year of absence, but Shae never spoke of it.  
“I am not surprised. What did you do?”

Shae turns her attention in Nevasc’s direction.  
“Told him that he was weak and a coward, just before I left. He was fine with it, as long as I wasn’t gonna fight or challenge him. Unfortunately, not everyone felt the same way.”

“That was…not very tactful of you.” 

Not quite having expected this response, Shae starts to laugh.  
“You know me so well.” 

They try to move back to the more serious aspects soon enough, shortly after Nevasc shakes her head.  
“Who is it that you are fighting then?”

“It’s a group of zealously faithful warriors of Mandalore. They believe they’re fighting for his honor.”

Nevasc arches her eyebrow in mild surprise.  
“He sent people after you? I thought you said he was not offended.”

Shae raises a hand to dismiss the notion.  
“No, no, he doesn’t have anything to do with this. They chose this course of action out of their own free wills. It tends to happen when dissenters rise to challenge a leader like Mandalore. It was the same for those who opposed him during the war.”

“But you are not a violent opposition.”

“True, but they don’t really care. I challenged his power publicly, which can be seen as a stain on his honor. For those who care about him, they would naturally want to pay us back for that, and me in particular.”

She tries her best to see the point of view from where they’re coming, but eventually just gives in.  
“It is…strange. I don’t believe I will ever fully understand mandalorian customs.”

Shae smiles at her, while patting her shoulder.  
“That’s why you have me to guide you through it, though, right?”

“If you call laughing at my ignorance ‘guiding’, then sure.”

She does her best not to do just as Nevasc expects, but can’t really hide the stupid smile on her lips.  
“C’mon, I wouldn’t do that to you. I respect your questions.”

“I believe the appropriate response to this would be ‘banthashit’.”

And that breaks the dam, making the flood of laughter burst through.  
“Okay, I guess it might have more to do with that great ass of yours.”

Nevasc snorts again, but they both know that she appreciates it on some level.  
“What of these other mandalorians then? Has the entirety of clan Vizla united behind your cause?”

Shae looks at her, a little bit confused by the suggestion.  
“What? No, they aren’t-…  
Wait, yes, they have, but it’s not just clan Vizla who’s with me out here.  
Members of clan Beroya, clan Dishre, clan Cadera, clan Ordo and a few others have chosen to align themselves with me.”

“To fight for your cause?”

She shrugs.  
“Dunno if you can really call it a ‘cause’. They mostly just agree with some of the stuff I’ve said and feel similarly to what I do. They wanna stand with me.”

“But you have entire clans backing you?”

“No, there are no full clans out here, not even every member of clan Vizla, but rather a bunch of individuals. That said, we’re still a pretty sizeable force.”

Having seen some of the other locations out in these jungles, Nevasc is willing to believe it.  
“Then, what is your plan, exactly? Do you seek to take the role of Mandalore?”

For a moment, Shae almost seems to contemplate the suggestion as something valid, but then turns to a smile, albeit of a more serious nature.  
“Not really. For now, all I want for us is to find our own fight - our own path. Working with the imperials is something I’m done with and most of the mando’ade who are with me agree. Even Mandalore will let us be, as we are allowed to make that choice.”

“These fighters do not seem to feel the same.”

“Yeah, they probably assume we will build up our own strength to challenge Mandalore at some point. It’s why I took all of these people with me to this world, to make our stand.  
We will destroy those who seek our death, gain their honor and glory, then leave when we have the opportunity. Where we go after that, I haven’t decided yet, but it doesn’t matter.” 

Nevasc studies her, and likely her words as well, trying to understand Shae’s point of view.  
“Your reasons are…sound, for the most part. I suppose it is a little bit reckless, but I would expect no less from mandalorians.”

Shae grins at her again and she’d likely respond with something witty, but someone else interjects before she gets the chance. They both hear a voice being emitted from one of the speakers on Nevasc’s comm unit.  
“Director, I have important information to relay.” 

The familiar voice surprises Shae, especially with what it said. Nevasc remains calm however and responds in an even tone.  
“Go on, Protocol.”

“The orbital sensors we sliced earlier have now aligned in an appropriate direction, providing me with an overview of the battlefield. I have been able to observe the movement of the attackers.”

“Anything useful?”

“Affirmative. They have now split themselves into three large groups and are moving in a pattern which would bring them onto you from different directions.  
From my estimates, one group will be used in a distractive measure, while the two others will flank in much larger numbers, trying to destroy the defending mandalorians with elements of surprise and speed.”

Nevasc scowls slightly.  
“That is why they attacked head-on so carelessly to begin with. They wished to build up a pattern which would fool Shae’s warriors.”

“Correct.” 

Nevasc sighs briefly and shakes her head.  
“Thank you, Protocol. Continue to monitor the situation for us.”

“As you wish, Director.”

She proceeds to turn her attention back to Shae.  
“I believe we have to form some kind of plan, to counteract these measures. Even if we know where and how they are moving, it will be difficult to defend when they are all around us.”

Shae watches her silently for a few seconds, before she smiles and nods.  
“True enough, but I think we can handle it. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve too. I’ll show you the extra weapons and explosives I brought with us earlier.”

“You thought ahead? That is unusual.”

“Tsk, don’t mock me. I know my way around the battlefield and you should’ve realized that by now.”

A hint of amusement can be spotted in Nevasc’s gaze again.  
“I suppose I may have underestimated you a little bit. Let us hurry back and see if any of it can be of use.”

Before she gets too far, Shae grabs her shoulder to prevent her from going.  
“Hold up, there’s something you better explain to me.”

Nevasc looks confused and then folds her arms.  
“What?” 

“Uh, ‘Director’?”

Of course, there was something Nevasc wanted to avoid speaking of and it seems Shae managed to pull her in that direction.  
“Ah, you noticed that…” 

“Yeah, kinda hard not to. Your little friend never uses your name, so I’m used to it saying your title or whatever.”

“It is not a ‘title’, in the sense you may be thinking of. It would be better to call it a rank.” 

Shae shrugs.  
“Don’t really care what you wanna call it. Mind explaining why it’s different now?”

Nevasc appears hesitant at first, which may not be entirely surprising. They rarely speak of this element of their lives, as they try to keep it private. Shae is never sure if it’s because Nevasc doesn’t trust her, or because she wants to protect Shae from knowing too much.  
“Things have changed during the past year. It is part of why I have been so busy.” 

“Oh, okay. What happened?”

While Nevasc would prefer not to share at all, Shae decided to relinquish information about what the situation is among her people, so she might deserve an explanation in return.  
“I am the new leader of the organization which I have been part of for years. It comes with a different rank name.”

“Whoa, okay. Should I…congratulate you, or…?”

Nevasc shrugs somewhat nonchalantly.  
“That is your prerogative. I do not mind either way.”

“How did you get it, though? What happened to the last Director? Whoever that was.”

“He was reassigned, for various reasons, and they needed to find someone else to take his place. I was seen as the most appropriate choice to be his successor.” 

Shae slowly nods, feeling it sort of makes sense, but she isn’t entirely sure if Nevasc is giving her the truth.  
“You didn’t just kill him then?”

She sounds a little bit amused, but Nevasc knows she may be suspicious of that actually being the truth. She doesn’t know much of what occurs in the Ascendancy, after all.  
“We do not reward people that backstab those who can still be useful. Besides, he did an admirable job before his departure.”

The answer makes Shae chuckle, as it’s somewhat defensive despite trying to be earnest.  
“Fair enough. If you’re the new leader, though, can you still move about like you used to do? Aren’t they gonna ask you to sit behind a desk or something?”

Nevasc sighs and crosses her arms over her chest.  
“Yes, for a time, they did. It was part of why I was so busy, while I had to rearrange certain aspects of my organization and make sure that my new role was clear. It tends to be the case that the Director can only organize from one of our core worlds, but I prefer the role of a more mobile leader. Perhaps they knew of this, and that is why they chose me, in the end. I do not know.”

Such speculation doesn’t seem to interest Shae very much.  
“Well, regardless, I’m glad that you’re free again. Wouldn’t want to lose our chance to have fun like this.”

Nevasc watches her, almost on the verge of returning the gesture, when they hear explosions in the distance, both of their gazes turning to watch the woods around them.  
“Speaking of which…” 

“Yeah. How about we catch up more later, in private, once we’re done kicking some ass?”

Lifting one of her hands, Nevasc grabs the hilt of her blade and pulls it out.  
“I suppose I have not had a good fight in quite a while. I would not wish for my skills to erode.” 

Shae grins and seizes Nevasc’s chin once more, allowing them to face each other and then leans down to kiss her eagerly. Despite the mild surprise, Nevasc eases into the kiss, raising her own hand to rest against Shae’s chest. When they separate a short while later, Shae’s voice turns to a somewhat huskier tone.  
“You’re so damn hot when you get bloodthirsty.”

Nevasc rolls her eyes, finding the sentiment foolish, but smiles in spite of it.


	7. Interstellar bond

After this long time apart, it is virtually impossible for either woman to fully describe the sensations of joy and relief they feel for being together again like this. In the past few years, it has always been a pillar of freedom, a source of serenity and distraction, where they can leave the rest of the galaxy behind, along with its problems, at least for a time. Getting it back now, for however brief it might be, is immensely satisfying for both.

As they often do after an initial session or two, they lie down together in the afterglow, enjoying the somewhat messy result of their union. This includes the sweat and exhaustion which they would otherwise see as possible nuisances. Much like the first time around, Nevasc is on her back, allowing Shae to touch and kiss across her body.  
It’s not that she doesn’t know what to expect by now, but rather that it’s a return to familiarity, to a field of pleasure that she’s only allowed in these types of meetings. It’s not like Nevasc minds how eager Shae can get - quite the opposite. There is also the possibility that she realizes they may not be able to continue as they have, hence the long break. She needs to relish it, now more than ever.

A similar eagerness and adamant longing can be seen and felt from Shae. Each kiss and brush of her lips is slow and deliberate, making sure that Nevasc enjoys herself as much as Shae wants to display her attraction. She is usually like this, but somehow, it is even more intense this night. It gladdens Nevasc, to know how much yearning was waiting for her. 

Feeling that the silence looms a bit too much over them, or perhaps not wishing to give in entirely to being caught in the pleasure that Shae delivers, Nevasc tries to resurface for a time.  
“I will admit it.” 

This gets Shae’s attention and her eyes drifts up to see the calm and virtually blissful appearance of Nevasc’s face.  
“Admit what?”

“That I have…missed this.” 

The mandalorian blinks, not quite having expected such a revelation but smiles in spite of it.  
“Really?”

Nevasc is sure that she can hear a little bit of laughter behind the question.  
“Is that wrong to say?”

Shae slides up along the bed, over the mess of sheets and pillows they’ve made here, to plant a soft kiss on her partner’s cheek.  
“No, not at all. It’s just kinda…cute.” 

“…cute?”

Shae replaces the lips with her nose instead, nudging it along Nevasc’s jaw.  
“Yeah, that you’re allowing yourself to say it.” 

Her eyes reopen and she rolls them in mild annoyance.  
“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Shae chuckles instead.  
“Oh c’mon, it is. There’s nothing wrong with that, though.”

“I am beginning to regret saying it by now.”

“Well, it’s too late to take it back. Besides, I like hearing about what gets you going.” 

Nevasc shakes her head briefly.  
“You say that as if you did not know already.”

“Of course I do, but usually, I can only tell by your moans.”

A brief intermission as Nevasc processes what is said and how to counter it.  
“I do not know what you are talking about.” 

“What, you think I haven’t noticed?”, Shae asks, while grinning and running the tip of her fingers over Nevasc’s stomach, knowing that the sensation will elicit a pleased response, even if she might not tell.

“Are you sure they are not just your own?”

Shae smirks, a devious idea popping into her mind and she tilts her head downwards, angling her mouth towards Nevasc’s neck and then bites into it. The motion is not hard enough to actually hurt her, but it does produce exactly what Shae was looking for – a soft moan, albeit a startled one.  
“Point taken?”

Nevasc frowns and looks away, a bit annoyed.  
“…shut up.”

Shae laughs before continuing the ministrations in the same way she had previously. Despite not winning this particular argument, Nevasc is keen to let her continue, due to how lovely it feels.  
Travelling down a path she has experienced previously, Shae finds something which she doesn’t quite recognize, just above the left side of Nevasc’s waist.  
“Hey, what’s this?”

Nevasc has to tilt her head somewhat in order to see what Shae is talking about, but realizes rather quickly when she senses the fingers running over a particular mark.  
“That would be a scar. I am certain you have seen them before.”

Shae gives her an unamused gaze, even though Nevasc seems pleased with her own sarcasm.  
“Yeah, thanks, I can see that. Where’s it from, though? You didn’t have this the last time we met.”

Leaning back against the bed again, the Director runs a hand through her own hair.  
“I know. I ended up in a few altercations during that time, ones which I did not quite expect. That scar was the result of one of their strikes.”

“Were you okay?”

She’s not sure if she can hear worry or not in Shae’s tone, but it certainly seems like it.  
“I am alive, am I not?” 

“Yeah, yeah, but…you know, no other damage.”

“There is nothing to worry about. I only suffered a minor injury.”

Shae watches the scar for a little while longer, before she gets back to it. Despite trying to focus on the intimacy, she now can’t dismiss the thought of finding more.  
Just as she expected, there is another new scar along Nevasc’s right thigh.  
“And where did you get this? Another ambush?”

This time, she only opens one eye to look in Shae’s direction, trying to find out which one she means by following the gaze.  
“No, I was ready for that one, but got careless during the fight itself. There were no serious injuries again and I defeated my target.” 

She continues to watch Shae’s expression, seeing how the concern is more apparent this time.  
“That’s not really like you.” 

Whether it’s criticism or merely a statement is hard to tell, but she realizes they may need to confront the issue.  
“As much as I would like to state otherwise, I am not a perfect fighter, Shae. I make mistakes too.” 

“Maybe, but you don’t usually make a lot of them.”

Even though Shae refuses to look into her eyes, Nevasc searches hers anyway.  
“You don’t like them, then? I thought scars was kind of your thing.” 

She manages to get Shae’s full attention then, and even more than that. The mandalorian looks at Nevasc almost with an intensity to her, as she slides further up the bed again. She places her hand along Nevasc’s sides, touching her hips and thighs with a certainty that the chiss hadn’t anticipated.  
“No one gives you scars but me.” 

The tone, combined with the firm caress, gives it a rather possessive edge. Had it been anyone else, Nevasc would take offense and push back with aggression, but Shae is an exception, perhaps the only one. Instead of the expected reaction, Nevasc feels a sense of warmth and excitement coming over her. She almost feels stupid for accepting such emotions, and doesn’t voice it out loud.

“I have enemies, Shae, and I always will. A few bruises cannot be avoided in my line of work”, she says, with a softer voice.

Shae scowls, letting her gaze wander over Nevasc’s body instead.  
“I understand, but I’m not gonna like it.”

“Unfortunately, my foes are unlikely to care.”

“Maybe I should teach them to stay the fuck away from my woman, then.” 

Nevasc arches a brow in slight amusement.  
_“Your_ woman?”

“That’s right.”

The expression on her face shifts towards her eyes instead, and before Shae can react, Nevasc seizes her partner’s arms and uses what strength she can summon to spin them around, letting herself end up on top.  
Shae inhales in surprise, but when she emits it, there’s a grin on her lips. Seeing Nevasc get eager is always an enjoyable prospect and she lets her proceed.

“I think you will find that you are _mine.”_

Shae sometimes forgets that she’s not the only one with a craving desire, but she is thoroughly reminded at this point, as Nevasc takes charge. Her kisses tend to be somewhat gentler and sometimes briefer, just like her touch, but in comparison, she also enjoys gripping and grinding a lot more. Having the smaller woman do this to her, often pushes Shae’s arousal to levels she otherwise wouldn’t think to be possible. 

Nevasc doesn’t need to explore as much, even though she too likes to follow along certain patterns. Her trail of kisses starts from Shae’s shoulder, down along her arm, and then ends up around the abs. Fingers grip at Shae’s thighs, sometimes digging nails into her skin to mix minor pain with pleasure. This is also something she uses when eventually ending up at Shae’s breasts, by alternating between sucking and biting. Not too hard, obviously, but driving the tips down enough to leave marks. No one other than Nevasc will see them, but that is enough.

Shae decides to appreciate this as best as she can, closing her eyes and letting Nevasc do as she wishes. For the most part, Shae’s gasps and pleased groans are almost the only noise heard, until Nevasc interjects.  
“Are you going to say it?”, she asks quietly.

The mandalorian has to pull herself back into a conscious state in order to respond.  
“Say what?”

“That you have missed me too.” 

And where did this come from? Not the kind of remark she would’ve expected from Nevasc, which is why she raises her brow, both amused and confused.  
“Does it need to be said?”

“Maybe.”

In her mind, it is already profoundly obvious, but looking down at the red glowing eyes watching her expectantly, she is willing to indulge them.  
“Of course I’ve missed you. I wouldn’t have been so damn worried otherwise.”

Seeming satisfied enough, Nevasc continues on her own road along Shae’s body. Not wanting to be left out of this play, Shae runs her own hand along the chiss’ back, hoping that her gratitude is evident enough.  
A minute or two later, Nevasc speaks again, using a similar volume.  
“You did not come looking for me.” 

“When?”

“During my absence.”

Not entirely true, as she did make inquiries, but perhaps not as adamant as she might have.  
“Maybe not, but I didn’t think it was necessary. Your people’s officials are always so secretive and don’t like telling us outsiders anything.” 

“Well, that has never stopped you before.” 

“True, but I guess I’ve learned by now that there’s no point. I’ll never get what I want from them.”

Once more, she stops her ministrations and watches Shae’s expression.  
“Why not? Am I not worth the effort?”

Shae is taken aback somewhat, confused by such a suggestion.  
“What? Of course you are, but I figured the silence happened because you might be angry or disappointed with me.  
I…I didn’t know how to deal with that.” 

Stroking herself further up, Nevasc rests on top of Shae, knowing that the weight will not impact her.  
“I was not angry.” She lifts her hand to Shae’s face and caresses her chin.  
“I enjoy it when you try, even if it might be futile.” 

Shae searches the red gaze, trying to spot something that can help her understand. Many can’t really see past their unease for this appearance, but Shae has been with her to the extent that signals which almost only chiss might comprehend, is now obvious to her too.  
“Were you disappointed that I didn’t?”

“I never said that.”

“Then answer my question.”  
Nevasc snorts, pretending that the notion is ludicrous and instead continues to kiss and nibble at Shae’s jaw.  
“Neva…”

“Be quiet.”

Knowing it’s useless to try, she does as she is told and lets Nevasc move at her own pace. If it becomes an issue, Shae knows that she’ll mention it. They wouldn’t be here otherwise.  
The actual intimacy becomes a distraction for only a few more minutes, as neither of them seem ready to plunge themselves down further just yet. Shae realizes Nevasc has more to say, and simply awaits its arrival.

“Shae.”

The mandalorian keeps her eyes shut for the time being, still lazily running a hand over Nevasc’s back.  
“Hmm?” 

“The notion of becoming Mandalore, how do you feel about it? Is that something you would actually consider?”

She shrugs in response.  
“Not really.”

“Not even for a moment?”

She takes a deeper breath, gathering her thoughts on the matter.  
“I don’t know why I should.”

Nevasc stops moving and lies down on top of her partner again, but this time to simply embrace her and not watch her as much. It is why she rests her head closer to Shae’s neck.  
“There is no more war in the galaxy, for the time being; you have allies willing to follow your cause; your name is well-known and respected among much of your people. To me, it would seem to be a fairly decent opportunity at this time.” 

The Director is not the first to raise this concern to her, but she’s not any surer of it now than previously.  
“Maybe. I just don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

“Why would it not be?”

She sighs while shaking her head, finding it a bit exhausting to even consider the idea, but needs to explain it.  
“I’m not much into politics, you know. And I don’t like the idea of getting all that attention focused on me, plus all the work it’ll involve. My life and position right now is good enough.” 

“What about the future? Does it never worry you?” 

“Well, yeah, it does, but I’m not sure I want that kind of future. Acting as the figure which all mando'ade watch for guidance is just…it may be too much for me.” 

“I realize how hard it must be to accept the thought of moving in that direction. However, I was not specifically talking of your future, but that of the mandalorians. Have you not considered the possibilities for them, with someone like you in charge?” 

This is moving into almost dangerous territory, and while she falters, there’s also a curiosity for where Nevasc intends to take it.  
“Not sure I know what you mean.”

“You spoke earlier of your disagreement with Mandalore, correct?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“The only way you can reach the change you desire, is if you take charge on your own.”

She’s not wrong, but that does not help Shae to dismiss all the other obstacles in her way.  
“Where are you going with this? I mean, even with the clans backing me now, Mandalore the Vindicated is way too popular. Not to mention he has probably got imperial support, because he wants the alliance to continue – I don’t.”

“Perhaps, but what if you had support from elsewhere?”

Shae turns her gaze in Nevasc’s direction, watching the woman lying so peacefully on top of her.  
“Like where?”

“Me.” 

It takes a few seconds for her to process it, until her eyes slowly widen.  
“I don’t…I don’t get it. Are you seriously suggesting that you’d want to help me with this? I thought you weren’t interested in getting involved with mando’ade issues.” 

Nevasc angles her head so that their gazes meet once more.  
“It is true that I would not usually care, but the current situation is different. I would involve myself, for you.” 

A tender and yet fairly powerful statement to make, even if they are in private.  
“Even if it’s a more personal angle?”

“With you as Mandalore, it would be beneficial for my people too, as we might gain an ally. And I do find you more reasonable than your current leader.”

Despite the friendly tone, Shae can’t help but frown somewhat.  
“Look, I appreciate what you’re saying, Neva, but I would never allow my people to become anyone’s puppets, no matter how much I care for you.“

“I did not say you would.”

“Then what are you saying?”

Nevasc attempts to get up, still being seated on top of Shae, but leaning slightly forward and resting her hands on her partner’s shoulders, so that her head hovers above Shae’s.  
“All I am suggesting is that we can be allies, Shae, on equal ground. If we can both attain such high positions within our societies, we have an opportunity to work together for both our benefits, by being able to keep such an alliance together and moderating it from above.” 

Shae continues to stroke both of her hands along Nevasc’s bare skin, letting the idea linger and possibly make a certain kind of sense to her.  
“It’s…an interesting prospect, I’ll give ya that. But if I agree, won’t you be splitting your loyalties then?”

“I would not, because I know what I want. I can be more than what others claim to be.” 

She does sound rather sure of herself when she says it, making Shae almost believe it, but she wonders if it would be possible to test it. There is another topic which interests her, after all.  
“While we’re talking about my people anyway, how much do you know of our customs regarding companionship?” 

Nevasc leans back a bit, getting into a straddling position, while she looks down, to somehow give herself the chance to examine the question.  
“I know some of it, but not all. Why?”

Shae’s hands finally stop at Nevasc’s hips, her grip rather firm, but not harsh.  
“Well, in our society, when two or more people get together, they usually end up joining the clan of only one – or the other, if there’s only two people.  
When it comes to someone like me, and the position I have in my clan, it would be expected that my partner joins clan Vizla.” 

Nevasc’s gaze drifts to the side, lost in thought.  
“I see.”

“Not saying that’s an ultimatum but, let’s pretend that our situation continued in that direction. Would you agree to that?”

She sounds rather earnest in her curiosity, but all it is met with is silence from Nevasc. It appears that she falters somewhat when confronted with something so profound.  
“I…do not know.” 

“Why not?”

“What would that involve? Would I have to leave my people behind?”

“Not if you don’t want to. We don’t demand you stay with our clan at all times, as most of us don’t.  
That said, joining us would mean that you may have to make certain sacrifices, to get closer to the essence of being mando'ade.”

Nevasc looks at her with mild confusion.  
“What does that mean? ‘Being mando’ade’. I would have to become mandalorian?”

Shae nods curtly.  
“Yeah, of course. We only accept a union with others of our people. That is how we grow stronger. Species or origin doesn’t matter, as long as they join us.” 

An odd notion for Nevasc to think of. She suddenly realizes that she has only studied the surface level of Shae’s people, such as what they have fought for, their clan names, Mandalore’s of note and similar information.  
“And what does it involve? Wearing mandalorian armor?”

Shae snorts in slight amusement.  
“Well, sort of, but it’s more than that. Being one of us is not just wearing armor, but accepting the identity and life that comes with it. You need to speak our language, understand our customs and accept your part in your clan.  
If we take marriage between a couple as an example, most of the major societies in the galaxy see it as those two getting into a union – they accept certain sacrifices of being at their partner's side, as it’s what they want.”

“Mandalorians don’t?”

She shakes her head.  
“Not in the same way. For us, it's more appropriate to see it as…” she gestures with her hand, trying to find the right words, “two souls becoming one. We aren’t united, but merged. In a sense, you can say there’s no ‘you and I’, only ‘we’.” 

The words and concept aren't actually foreign to Nevasc. In some ways, she can almost see parallels to how the Ascendancy operates, which makes it slightly more appealing.  
She raises a hand to Shae’s jaw, letting her fingers brush over the lower lip.  
“Would you be able to accept someone…like me, though? Serving my people and the Ascendancy is everything to me.” 

Shae’s smile is gentle, but also somewhat contemplative.  
“I guess we both have a lot of thinking to do, before we can consider making the suggestion.”

Nevasc gains a sense of relief for hearing her say it.  
“I agree.” 

She alters her position then, once more lying down on top of Shae and they both shut their eyes as the situation appears to calm down. It has been a few hectic days on this world, and the urgency of being joined may simply help tiring them.  
Not wanting to drift away completely, Nevasc wonders if she should raise another side of the same topic, which might be a little bit more light-hearted. 

“Is it true that all Mandalores get a suffix title as well?” 

“Uh, yeah? Most of the time, anyway.”

“Do they choose it themselves?”

Shae raises a brow somewhat, wondering why Nevasc is suddenly curious, but she lets her continue.  
“It depends on a few factors. Like, who they are, what they act like, what people think of them, etcetera.”

Nevasc slowly nods, understanding the angle.  
“That makes sense, I suppose. I wonder what yours would be, if you were made Mandalore.”

Somewhat confused by the suggestion, Shae blinks at first, before briefly snorting.  
“Uh, I dunno. Does it matter?”

“I am curious.”

“Tsk, c’mon, you’re just being silly now.” 

Nevasc lets her gaze rise to the roof as if she’s already lost in suggestions.  
“Perhaps ‘the hothead’, or ‘the sluggish’. 'The guttermouth’ would not be inaccurate either.”

Shae leans her head back and laughs, even though she probably should’ve expected what was to come.  
“Hey, that’s not fair! I’m better than those options.”

“Are you, though? Besides, I thought others chose the title, not you.” 

“Pft, to a certain extent! I wouldn’t just take any kind of garbage.”

“I am open to other proposals.” 

She lets her hand stroll up towards Nevasc’s hair, running a few fingers through it.  
“Well, I’ve done pretty well at your side, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Hmm, perhaps you are right. Moderately so, at least. I suppose I would allow ‘the decent kisser’ too. It is not a poor choice.”

Shae smirks at her.  
“Yeah, maybe. How about ‘the chiss charmer’, though?”

Nevasc looks straight into her eyes, thoroughly unamused.  
“…not a chance.” 

“Mm, ‘the ice eater’, maybe?”

“I will hurt you.”

She can’t help but chuckle at how easy it is to turn the tables on Nevasc. Teasing just isn’t her thing, clearly.  
“Well, it would be even more interesting to go with something obscure.”

“Such as?”

“Like…something in another language. Could you give me something in yours?”

Nevasc seems thoroughly skeptical of what Shae will do.  
“Possibly, depending on what it is.” 

“Well, what do you call your private parts in Cheunh?” 

The skepticism turns into a mild frown instead.  
“…no.” 

The laughter never really left her throat and it erupts once more at Nevasc's reaction.  
“C’mon now! Let me know! It can be useful for the future.”

“I am not going to teach you such words.”

“Why not?!”

“You will misuse them.”

Shae smirks and runs her hands along Nevasc’s side to tickle her, but is met with little success.  
“Obviously, that’s kind of the point! Ah, don’t worry about it, I guess. I’ll find out eventually.”

“Unlikely.”

She places a hand on Nevasc’s ass, gripping it tightly so that she can push the chiss back up, allowing them to face each other again, and then pulls her down into a kiss. While the Director may be a little bit grumpy, she can’t stop herself from returning the gesture, and allow Shae’s tongue to wriggle its way into her mouth. 

It’s almost impressive how Nevasc can sit on top, and yet permit Shae to easily seize control, but it’s exactly what happens. The skill with which she guides her partner’s pleasure is astounding, but Nevasc has been shown that the firmness and determination of Shae’s actions and touch, is one of her major weaknesses.  
She doesn’t understand how she tolerates it, but somehow, it’s almost intoxicating to be held in the grasp of this ridiculous mandalorian. A part of her wonders if she will ever be able to let it go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _So yeah, I hope anyone who read this enjoyed it. It was just a little story that I've had on my mind for months and finally wanted to write down somewhere._   
>  _As you may have noticed, this isn't the end of their relationship or the possible stories surrounding them. I'll get back to them at some point in the future, when Shae becomes more relevant in my other fics. For now, this works as a standalone tale as well._


End file.
